J 


SKETCHES  OF  LIBERIA: 


COMPRISING 


A BRIEF  ACCOUNT 


OF  THE 


AND  DISEASES, 


OF  THE 


REPUBLIC  OF  LIBERIA, 


SECOND  EDITION— REVISED. 


TO  WHICH  IS  ADDED  A BRIEF  SKETCH  OF  THE  HISTORY  OF  LIBERIA,  AND  A 
SUCCINCT  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  CUSTOMS  AND  SUPERSTITIONS  OF 
THE  CONTIGUOUS  NATIVE  TRIBES. 


BY  J.  W.  LUGSNBEEL, 

Late  Colonial  Physician  and  U.  S.  Agent  in  Liberia 


WASHINGTON : 

C.  ALEXANDER,  PRINTER, 

1853. 


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GEOGRAPHY,  CLIMATE,  PRODUCTIONS,  j 


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SKETCHES  OF  LIBERIA 


COMPRISING 


A BRIEF  ACCOUNT 


OF  THE 


GEOGRAPHY,  CLIMATE,  PRODUCTIONS, 

AND  DISEASES, 

OF  THE 

REPUBLIC  OF  LIBERIA. 

SECOND  EDITION— REVISED. 


70  WHICH  IS  ADDED  A BRIEF  SKETCH  OF  THE  HISTORY  OF  LIBERIA,  AND  A 
SUCCINCT  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  CUSTOMS  AND  SUPERSTITIONS  OF 
THE  CONTIGUOUS  NATIVE  TRIBES. 


BY  J.  W.  LUGENBEEL, 

Late  Colonial  Physician  and  IT.  S.  Agent  in  Liberia. 


WASHINGTON  : 

C.  ALEXANDER,  PRINTER 

1853 


SKETCHES  OF  LIBERIA. 


PREFACE. 


A decided  conviction  of  the  necessity  of 
a work  in  which  the  earnest  inquirer  may 
find  the  principal  topics  of  information 
that  he  may  desire,  respecting  the  Re- 
public of  Liberia,  is  the  motive  which  has 
induced  the  author  of  these  sketches  to 
consent  to  their  publication.  His  long 
residence  in  Liberia,  and  the  great  care 
with  which  he  endeavored  to  make  obser- 
vations, and  to  acquire  information  from 
the  most  authentic  sources,  embolden  him 
to  believe  that  these  Sketches,  presented  as 
they  are  with  the  utmost  ingenuousness, 
are  worthy  the  candid  consideration  of  all 
who  desire  a knowledge  of  the  truth,  re- 
specting the  condition  and  prospects  of  the 
little  Africaji  Republic.  Though  they  may 
possibly  contain  some  slight  inaccuracies, 
yet  the  author  believes  that  a more  truth- 
ful, comprehensive,  and  impartial  account 
of  matters  and  things  as  they  really  exist 
in  Liberia,  has  not  been  given  to  the  pub- 
lic. And  with  no  other  motive  in  view 
than  a desire  to  impart  needful  and  correct 
information,  he  leaves  this  little  work  to 


the  candid  persual  of  the  unbiassed  reader; 
in  the  hope  that  some  good  may  result 
from  this  part  of  his  labors  in  the  cause  of 
humanity. 

Washington,  1850. 

Preface  to  the  Second  Edition . 

The  first  edition  of  these  Sketches  hav- 
ing met  with  general  approbation,  and 
the  necessity  for  an  additional  supply 
seeming  to  exist,  the  author  has  carefully 
revised  the  work — omitting  some  unimpor- 
tant portions,  for  the  sake  of  brevity,  and 
making  such  corrections  and  additions  as 
he  deemed  necessary. 

The  presentation  of  a simple  and  con- 
cise account  of  Liberia,  as  it  is,  for  the  in- 
formation of  all  earnest  inquirers,  and  no 
consideration  of  pecuniary  advantage,  has 
prompted  the  Author  to  the  publication  of 
these  Sketches.  Copies  of  the  work  will, 
therefore, as  heretofore,  be  furnished  gratui- 
tously on  application  to  the  Secretary  of  the 
American  Colonization  Society  in  this  city. 

Washington,  June,  1853. 


CHAPTER  1. 

GEOGRAPHY. 


That  portion  of  the  western  coast  of 
Africa,  which  has  received  the  appellation 
of  Liberia  embraces  a tract  of  country 
included  between  the  parallels  of  40  20'  and 
7°  20'  north  latitude,  extending  from  the 
Sherbro  river  on  the  north  (near  the 
southern  boundary  of  the  British  Colony 
of  Sierra  Leone)  to  the  Pedro  river  on 


the  south  ; a distance  along  the  coast  of 
about  six  hundred  miles.  The  political 
jurisdiction  of  the  Republic  of  Liberia  em- 
braces about  five  hundred  miles  of  this  ter- 
ritory : that  of  the  Cojony  of  “Maryland 
in  Liberia”  embraces  about  one  hundred 
miles,  to  the  north  and  east  of  Cape  Pal- 
mas. All  the  territory  which  lies  between 


4 


SKETCHES  OF  LIBERIA. 


Appearance  of  the  Country— Water— Soil. 


these  two  points  (except  two  or  three 
small  tracts,)  has  been  purchased  from  the 
original  proprietors  and  rightful  owners  of 
the  soil.  The  first  tract  was  purchased 
in  the  early  part  of  1822,  embracing  a 
small  extent  of  territory  in  the  vicinity  of 
Cape  Mesurado.  Other  portions  have,  at 
different  times,  been  purchased — the  great- 
er part  within  the  last  few  years.  The  | 
interior  boundaries  of  the  purchased  tracts 
extend  from  about  ten  to  forty  miles 
from  the  coast.  These  boundaries  may 
readily  be  extended  as  far  as  may  be  de- 
sirable, as  the  interior  tribes  are  generally 
very  willing,  and  some  of  them  anxious 
to  sell  their  territories. 

In  no  instance  have  the  natives,  from 
whom  the  land  was  purchased,  been  re- 
quired to  remove  their  residences,  or  to 
abandon  their  usual  customs,  except  that 
of  trading  in  slaves,  and  the  practice  of 
such  superstitious  rites  or  ceremonies  as 
tend  to  deprive  any  of  their  fellows  beings 
of  life.  And,  in  all  the  written  contracts 
which  have  been  entered  into  between  the 
Agents  of  the  Colonization  Society,  or  the 
authorities  of  the  Republic,  and  the  native 
chiefs,  the  latter  have  invariably  obligated 
themselves,  in  behalf  of  the  people  over 
whom  they  presided,  to  conform  to  the 
laws  and  regulations  of  the  Liberian  Gov- 
ernment. 

As  in  most  other  countries,  similarly 
situated,  the  land  in  the  immediate  vicini- 
ty of  the  ocean  in  Liberia,  is  generally 
low;  and,  in  some  places,  it  is  very  marshy. 
There  are  some  elevated  spots,  how- 
ever ; such  as  those  on  which  the  towns 
of  Monrovia  and  Harper  are  located.  The 
land  generally  becomes  more  elevated  to- 
wards the  interior;  and,  in  some  places, 
within  fifty  miles  of  the  coast,  it  is  quite 
mountainous. 

Far  as  the  eye  can  reach  from  the  high- 
est points  of  land  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
ocean,  the  whole  country  presents  the  ap- 


j pearance  of  a deep,  unbroken  forest,  with 
hill-top  rising  ?.bove  hill-top  towards  the 
vast  interior;  the  country  consisting,  not 
as  is  supposed  by  some  persons,  of  arid 
plains  and  burning  sands,  but  of  hills  and 
valleys,  covered  with  the  verdure  of  per- 
j petual  spring.  The  country  is  well  wa- 
| tered  : — many  beautiful  streams  may  be 
I seen  winding  their  way  amidst  blooming 
S flowers  and  wild  shrubbery;  and  many 
| cooling  springs  of  clear,  sparkling  water, 
i invite  the  weary  traveler  to  linger  and 
j quench  his  thirst.  In  all  the  settlements 
! in  Liberia,  good  water  can  be  procured 
J without  much  difficulty ; and  though  in 
the  dry  season,  as  in  this  country  after  a 
long  dry  spell  in  summer,  some  of  the 
! springs  fail,  for  a time;  yet,  as  good  water 
| can  always  be  obtained  by  digging  wells; 
and  as  many  of  the  springs  never  fail, there 
| need  not  be  any  fear  about  getting  plenty 
of  good  water  at  any  time  in  the  year. 

Soil.  The  soil  of  Liberia,  like  that  of 
other  countries,  varies  in  appearance, 
quality,  and  productiveness.  That  of  the 
uplands,  though  generally  much  inferior 
to  that  of  the  lowlands,  is  better  adapted 
to  some  articles.  The  upland  soil  usually 
consists  of  a reddish  clay,  more  or  less 
mixed  with  soft  rocks  and  stones,  contain- 
ing considerable  quantities  of  iron.  That 
of  the  lowlands,  in  the  immediate  vicinity 
of  the  ocean,  consists  principally  of  sand. 
Besides  this  sandy  soil,  there  are  two  other 
varieties  of  lowland  soil;  one  of  which  is  that 
on  the  banks  of  the  rivers,  within  a few 
miles  of  the  sea : this  consists  of  a loose, 
deep,  black  mould ; which  is  peculiarly 
adapted  to  the  growth  of  those  kinds  of 
vegetables  that  thrive  best  during  the  dry 
season.  The  other  variety  is  that  which 
is  generally  found  extending  back  from 
the  banks  of  the  rivers,  farther  from  the 
sea  than  the  last  named  : this  consists  of  a 
light  colored  clay,  more  or  less  tempered 


SKETCHES  OF  LIBERIA. 


5 


Rivers — St.  Paul’s — St.  John’s  and  Junk. 


with  sand;  and  it  is  well  adapted  to  almost 
every  kind  of  vegetables  that  will  thrive 
in  tropical  climates. 

Rivers.  There  are  no  very  large  rivers 
in  Liberia;  and,  although  some  of  them 
are  from  one-fourth  to  three-fourths  of  a 
mile  wide,  for  fifty  miles  or  more  from 
their  entrance  into  the  ocean;  yet  none  of 
them  are  navigable  to  a greater  distance 
than  twenty  miles;  the  navigation  being 
obstructed  by  rapids.  The  St.  Paul’s,  the 
St.  John’s,  and  the  Junk,  are  the  largest; 
and,  indeed,  they  are  the  only  rivers  of 
any  considerable  length  or  width.  The 
other  principal  rivers  are  the  Gallinas,  the 
Cape  Mount,  the  Mechlin,  the  New  Cess, 
the  Grand  Cess,  the  Sanguin,  the  Sinou, 
and  the  Grand  Sesters.  Some  of  these 
present  a bold  appearance  at  their  mouths  ; 
but  they  are  all  comparatively  short;  and 
none  of  them  are  navigable  for  boats,  or 
even  for  canoes,  more  than  twenty  or  thirty 
miles,  without  obstruction  by  rocks  or 
rapids. 

The  St.  Paul’s  river  is  a beautiful  stream 
of  water.  It  is  three-fourths  of  a mile  wide 
at  the  widest  part,  (at  Caldwell,)  and 
about  three-eighths  of  a mile  wide  at  Mills- 
burg,  about  fourteen  miles  from  its  mouth. 

The  banks  of  this  river  rise  from  ten  t© 
twenty  feet  above  the  water  ; and,  except 
in  places  that  have  been  cleared,  they  are 
covered  with  large  forest  trees;  among 
which  may  be  seen  the  graceful  palm, 
rearing  aloft  its  green -tufted  head,  and 
standing  in  all  its  pride  and  beauty,  the 
ornament  and  the  glory  of  its  native  land. 
The  St.  Paul’s  is  perhaps  the  longestriver 
in  Liberia.  It  is  studded  with  many 
beautiful  islands,  abounding  in  camwood,  ' 
palm,  and  many  other  valuable  forest 
trees  ; and  its  banks  furnish  many  beauti- 
ful sites  for  residences.  Many  native  ham- 
lets may  be  seen  on  the  banks  of  this  love- 
ly river — the  homes  of  the  untutored  chil- 


dren of  the  forest — the  benighted  sons  and 
daughters  of  Africa.  The  St  Paul’s  bifur- 
cates about  three  miles  from  its  mouth : 
the  principal  stream  rolls  on  towards  the 
ocean,  while  the  other  fork  flows  in  a 
south-easterly  direction,  almost  parallel 
with  the  beach,  and  unites  with  the  little 
Mesurado  river  near  its  mouth;  and  thus 
an  island  is  formed,  about  eight  miles  long 
and  from  one  to  two  in  width,  called  Bush- 
rod  Island.  This  latter  fork  of  the  river 
is  called  Stockton  Creek , in  honor  of  Com. 
Stockton,  who  kindly  aided  in  effecting 
the  first  purchase  of  territory. 

The  St.  John’s  river  is  also  a beautiful 
stream.  It  is  about  sixty  miles  south-east 
of  the  St.  Paul’s;  and  it  flows  through  that 
part  of  Liberia  known  as  the  Grand 
Bassa  country.  At  the  widest  point,  it  is 
nearly  or  quite  a mile  wide.  Its  length, 
however,  is  supposed  to  be  less  than  that 
of  the  St  Paul’s.  The  St  John’s  is  also 
studded  with  numerous  islands;  the  largest 
of  which  is  Factory  Island,  about  three 
miles  from  its  mouth.  The  banks  of  this 
river  also  rise  considerably  above  the  wa- 
ter ; and  the  land  bordering  on  it  is  also 
very  productive. 

The  Junk  river,  which  is  about  equidis- 
tant from  the  other  two  named  rivers,  is 
the  third  in  size  and  importance.  The 
main  branch  is  supposed  to  be  equal  in 
length  to  the  St.  John’s.  The  northern 
branch,  which  is  only  about  forty  miles 
long,  is  noted  as  a thoroughfare  between 
Monrovia  and  Marshall.  At  the  place  of 
embarkation,  a few  miles  below  its  source, 
it  is  not  more  than  five  yards  wide  ; but  it 
gradually  expands  to  the  width  of  more 
than  half  a mile. 

The  appearance  of  the  country  along  the 
banks  of  these  rivers,  and  of  the  numer- 
ous little  islands  which  they  form,  is  high- 
ly picturesque. 

The  banks  of  the  St.  Paul’s  and  the  St. 
John’s,  in  many  places,  present  encourag- 


6 


SKETCHES  OF  LIBERIA, 


Settlements— Monrovia. 


ing  scenes  of  agricultural  industry;  show- 
ing the  handiwork  of  a people*  whose  so- 
cial condition  is  vastly  superior  to  that  of 
their  aboriginal  neighbors;  and  who  are 
thus  placing  before  the  indolent  and  im- 
provident natives,  illustrations  of  the  great 
superiority  of  the  habits  of  civilized  people 
to  their  own  degrading  customs  ; examples 
which  must  eventually  exert  a powerful 
influence  on  the  minds  and  practice  of  the 
contiguous  native  tribes. 

And  thus,  while  the  mind  of  the  travel- 
ler is  oppressed  by  the  melancholy  consid- 
eration of  the  moral  and  intellectual  dark- 
ness of  the  scattered  tribes  of  human  be- 
ings, whose  desolate-looking  hamlets  fre- 
quently meet  his  view,  as  he  wends  his 
way  amidst  the  dense  forests  of  the  uncul- 
tivated hills  and  dales  of  Africa;  he  is  en- 
couraged to  believe  that  the  time  will  come 
when  this  extensive  “wilderness  shall  be 
made  glad”  by  the  labors  of  industrious 
agriculturists,  and  when  this  vast  desert  of 
intellectual  and  moral  degradation  “shall 
rejoice,  and  blossom  as  the  rose.” 

Settlements. — The  principal  settle- 
ments in  the  Republic  of  Liberia  are-— 
Monrovia,  New  Georgia,  Caldwell,  Vir- 
ginia, Kentucky,  Millsburg,  Marshall, 
Edina,  Buchanan,  Bexley,  Greenville, 
Readsville,  Lexington,  and  Louisiana. — 
Besides  these,  there  are  a few  other  locali- 
ties, which  are  sometimes  called  by  one 
name  and  sometimes  by  another. 

Monrovia  is  the  largest  and  oldest  of  all 
the  settlements  ; and  it  is  the  metropolis, 
and  the  seat  of  government  of  the  Repub- 
lic. It  is  located  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Mesurado  river,  (a  small  stream  about  fif- 
teen miles  long,)  about  four  miles  southeast 
of  the  entrance  of  the  St,  Paul’s  river  into 
the  ocean,  on  an  elevated  site,  immediate- 
ly in  the  rear  of  Cape  Mesurado,  in  lati- 
tude 6°  19'  north.  The  highest  part  of 
the  hill  on  which  the  town  stands,  and 
which  is  near  its  centre,  is  about  eighty 


feet  above  the  level  of  the  ocean,  and 
about  three-fourths  of  a mile  from  the  sum- 
mit of  the  Cape,  which  is  about  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  feet  above  the  sea.  Cape 
Mesurado  is  a bold  promontory,  covered 
with  massive  forest  trees  and  dense  un- 
dergrowth ; except  in  places  that  have 
been  cleared.  On  the  summit  of  the  Cape 
is  a light-house  and  a fort;  and  along  the 
sloping  declivity,  towards  the  town,  there 
are  several  cleared  lots,  on  which  small 
houses  have  been  erected;  in  some  places 
affording  very  pleasant  places  ofresidence. 
The  greater  part  of  the  promontory,  how- 
ever, is  very  rocky.  The  course  of  the 
coast  north  of  the  Cape,  forms  a kind  of 
bay,  which  generally  affords  safe  anchor- 
age for  vessels;  and  the  cove,  near  the 
base  of  the  Cape,  affords  as  good  a landing 
on  the  beach  as  can  be  found  on  almost 
any  other  part  of  the  coast. 

The  town  of  Monrovia,  although  more 
compact  than  any  of  the  other  settlements 
in  Liberia,  occupies  a considerable  extent 
of  ground;  being  about  three-fourths  of  a 
mile  in  length.  It  is  laid  off  with  as  much 
regularity  as  the  location  will  allow;  and 
the  streets,  of  which  there  are  about  fifteen 
in  number,  have  received  regular  names. 
The  town  is  divided  into  lots  of  one-fourth 
of  an  acre,  and  most  of  the  dwelling-houses 
have  a lot  attached  to  each  of  them. 
Most  of  the  lots,  and  several  of  the  streets, 
are  adorned  with  various  tropical  fruit 
trees;  and  some  of  the  gardens  present  a 
handsome  appearance.  The  houses  are 
generally  one  story  or  a story  and  a half 
high  : some  are  two  full  stories.  Many  of 
them  are  substantially  built  of  stone  or 
brick  and  some  of  the  best  houses  are 
built  partly  of  both  these  materials.  The 
state-house  is  a large  stone  building,  which 
was  erected  in  1843.  In  the  rear  of  this 
building,  is  a substantial  stone  prison. 
There  are  three  commodious  stone  houses 


SKETCHES  OF  LIBERIA. 


7 


New  Georgia— Caldwell— Virginia— Kentucky  and  Millsburg. 


for  public  worship  in  the  town — Metho-  j 
dist,  Baptist  and  Presbyterian;  nearly  all  i 
of  the  professing  Christians  in  the  place 
being  attached  to  one  of  these  religious  de-  ■ 
nominations. 

At  the  base  of  the  hill  on  which  stand  i 
the  principal  dwelling  houses,  there  are  j 
several  large  stone  buildings,  which  are 
occupied  as  stores  and  warehouses.  The 
dwellings  of  many  of  the  citizens  of  Mon- 
rovia are  not  only  comfortably,  but  ele- 
gantly, and  some  of  them  richly  furnish- 
ed ; and  some  of  the  residents  of  this  little  i 
bustling  metropolis  live  in  a style  of  ease 
and  affluence,  which  does  not  comport  J 
with  the  contracted  views  of  those  per-  I 
sons  who  regard  a residence  in  Africa  as  | 
necessarily  associated  with  the  almost  en- 
tire privation  of  the  good  things  of  this 
life.  The  population  is  about  fifteen  hun- 
dred, exclusive  of  native  children  and 
youths  who  reside  in  the  families  of  the 
citizens. 

New  Georgia  is  a small  township,  loca- 
ted on  the  eastern  side  of  Stockton  Creek, 
about  five  miles  from  Monrovia.  It  is  oc- 
cupied principally  by  native  Africans,  who  ! 
were  formerly  slaves.  Upwards  of  two 
hundred  of  the  liberated  Africans  who 
have  been,  or  who  now  are,  residents  of 
New  Georgia,  were  sent  to  Liberia  by  the 
United  States  Government,  at  different  j 
times.  Many  of  these  have  married  per- 
sons who  were  born  in  the  United  States; 
and  have  thereby  become  more  strongly 
identified  with  the  Liberians,  as  citizens 
of  the  Republic.  Some  of  them  are  par- 
tially educated;  and,  a few  years  ago,  one 
of  them  occupied  a seat  in  the  Legislature. 
As  most  of  the  citizens  of  New  Georgia 
have  taken  the  oath  of  allegiance,  they  are 
permitted  to  enjoy  equal  immunities  with 
other  citizens. 

Caldwell  is  situated  on  the  southern  side 
of  the  St.  Paul’s  river.  The  whole  settle- 


ment, which  is  divided  forconvemence  into 
Upper  and  Lower  Caldwell,  is  about  six 
miles  in  length,  extending  along  the  bank 
of  the  river;  the  nearest  part  to  Monrovia 
being  about  nine  miles  distant.  The 
houses  are  from  one  hundred  yards  to  a 
quarter  of  a mile,  or  more,  apart;  and,  of 
course,  this  settlement  has  not  much  the 
appearance  of  a town.  Some  of  the  most 
enterprising  farmers  in  Liberia  reside  at 
this  place.  The  land  about  Caldwell  is 
generally  remarkably  productive. 

Virginia,  or  New  Virginia,  as  it  is  some- 
times called,  is  a new  settlement,  com- 
menced in  the  early  part  of  1846.  It  is  also 
on  the  St.  Paul’s  river,  opposite  Caldwell. 
This  is  the  site  of  the  United  States  Recep- 
tacle for  liberated  Africans,  erected  in  1847. 

Kentucky  is  an  agricultural  settlement  be- 
tween Virginia  and  Millsburg,  on  the 
northern  bank  of  the  St.  Paul’s  river,  com- 
menced a few  years  ago. 

Millsburg  is  the  farthest  settlement  from 
the  sea-coast  of  any  in  Liberia.  It  is  sit- 
uated on  the  northern  bank  of  the  St  Paul’s 
river,  about  fourteen  miles  from  its  mouth 
! and  about  twenty  miles  from  Monrovia. 
Like  the  other  farming  settlements,  the 
houses  generally  are  separated  at  a con- 
siderable distance  from  one  another;  so 
that  the  whole  township  extends  about  a 
| mile  and  a half  along  the  bank  of  the  river. 
Millsburg  is  perhaps  the  most  beautiful, 
and  one  of  the  most  healthy  locations  in 
Liberia.  The  land  is  remarkably  good, 
and  of  easy  cultivation.  A flourishing  Fe- 
male Academy  is  in  operation  at  this  place, 
under  the  care  of  Mrs.  Wilkins,  missiona- 
ry of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 
And,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river  is 
White  Plains,  a mission  station  of  the  same 
Church. 

Besides  these  settlements,  there  are  nu- 
merous other  points  along  the  St.  Paul’s 
river,  which  are  occupied  by  farmers;  so 


8 


SKETCHES  OF  LIBERIA. 


Marshall — Edina — Buchanan— Bexley — Greenville,  &c. 


that  the  banks  of  this  beautiful  stream  pre- 
sent, in  many  places,  the  appearance  of  ag- 
ricultural industry  and  comfort. 

Marshall  is  situated  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Junk  river,  about  thirty -five  miles  south  of 
Monrovia.  Most  of  the  houses  in  this 
place  are  built  along  the  sea-shore.  This 
place  is  particularly  noted  for  the  manu- 
facture of  lime;  which  is  obtained  altogeth- 
er from  oyster  and  other  shells.  Most  of 
the  lime  that  is  used  in  Liberia  is  made  in 
the  vicinity  of  Marshall.  The  river  at 
this  place  abounds  in  oysters.  And  though 
they  are  not  quite  equal  to  those  procured  in 
some  parts  of  the  United  States,  yet  they  are 
quite  palatable,  when  properly  served  up. 

Edina  is  located  on  the  northern  bank 
of  the  St.  John’s  river,  about  half  a mile 
from  its  mouth.  It  is  handsomely  situated; 
and,  in  reference  to  the  healthiness  of  the 
location,  it  is  perhaps  equal  to  most  others 
in  Liberia.  Some  of  the  citizens  of  Edina 
ire  engaged  in  the  cultivation  of  exporta- 
ble articles  of  produce. 

Buchanan  is  located  at  the  junction  of 
the  Benson  river  (a  small  stream)  with  the 
St.John’s,  nearly  opposite  Edina.  Several 
of  the  citizens  of  this  place  also  have  given 
considerable  attention  to  the  cultivation  of 
coffee,  arrow-root,  and  ginger,  during  the 
last  few  years.  A steam  saw-mill  intro- 
duced in  1851,  is  in  successful  operation 
at  this  place. 

A new  settlement  has  recently  been  form- 
ed at  the  site  of  the  one  destroyed  by  Gran- 
do,  a native  chief,  and  his  allies,  in  No- 
vember, 1851,  near  Fish  Town,  a native 
village,  about  three  miles  below  the  mouth 
of  the  St.  John’s  river. 

Bexley  is  situated  on  the  northern  side  of 
the  St.  John’s  river,  about  six  miles  from 
its  mouth.  This  place,  like  the  settlements 
on  the  St.  Paul’s  river,  occupies  a consid- 
erable extent  of  territory.  It  is  divided 
into  Upper  and.  Lower  Bexley;  both  to- 


[ gether  extending  about  four  miles  along 
the  river.  Bexley  is  a fine  farming  settle- 
ment; the  land  is  excellent;  and  the  loca- 
tion is  comparatively  healthy.  Several 
of  the  citizens  of  this  place  are  pretty  ac- 
tively engaged  in  cultivating  articles  for 
exportation.  This  is  certainly  one  of  the 
most  interesting  settlements  in  Liberia. 
The  mission  of  the  Baptist  Board  of  For- 
eign Missions  is  located  at  this  place; also 
the  head-quarters  of  the  Southern  Baptist 
Mission. 

Greenville  is  situated  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Sinou  river,  about  one  hundred  and 
thirty  miles  by  -sea  southeast  of  Monrovia. 
Like  the  settlement  of  Marshall,  most  of 
the  houses  are  located  along  the  sea-shore. 
Greenville  presents  a handsome  appear- 
ance from  the  anchorage.  It  is  one  of  the 
most  healthy  settlements  in  Liberia.  The 
land  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Green- 
ville, and  indeed  of  all  the  other  settle- 
ments near  the  sea-shore,  is  much  inferior 
to  that  on  the  banks  of  the  rivers  several 
miles  from  their  entrance  into  the  ocean. 
Consequently,  those  persons  who  expect 
to  live  by  “the  sweat  of  their  brow,”  in 
the  cultivation  of  the  soil,  will  find  itgreat- 
ly  to  their  advantage  to  locate  beyond  the 
sound  of  the  breaking  surf  of  the  ocean.  A 
steam  saw-mill  is  in  operation  at  this  set- 
tlement— the  first  one  introduced  into  Li- 
beria. 

Readsville,  Lexington,  and  Louisiana,  are 
farming  settlements  on  or  near  the  Sinou 
river,  from  two  to  five  miles  above  Green- 
ville. 

In  every  settlement,  there  is  one  place, 
or  more,  of  public  worship,  in  which  reli- 
gious services  are  regularly  held.  And, 
in  nearly  every  settlement,  there  is  one 
regular  day  and  Sunday  school,  or  more. 
The  principal  deficiency  in  the  system  of 
education  in  Liberia,  consists  in  the  ina- 
bility to  procure  the  services  of  a sufficient 


SKETCHES  OF  LIBERIA. 


9 


Maryland  in  Liberia — Climate  and  seasons — rainy  and  dry  seasons. 


number  of  competent  teachers.  There 
are  several  very  good  schools  at  Monro* 
via,  and  some  of  the  other  settlements  ; 
but  the  facilities  tor  thorough  intellectual 
training  are  not  commensurate  with  the 
wants  of  the  people  in  all  the  settle- 
ments. 

As  the  census  has  not  been  taken  for 
several  years,  I cannot  give  the  exact  pop- 
ulation of  the  different  settlements,  and  the 
exact  aggregate  population  of  the  Repub- 
lic. The  whole  number  of  inhabitants  of 
the  Republic,  exclusive  of  the  natives,  is 
probably  at  present,  about  seven  thousand. 
The  native  population  is  probably  about 
two  hundred  thousand;  many  of  whom 
have  adopted  habits  of  civilized  life;  and 
many  of  the  youth  of  both  sexes  have 
enjoyed,  or  are  enjoying,  advantages  of 
education. 

Maryland  in  Liberia. 

The  Colony  of  “Maryland  in  Liberia,” 
which  has  always  maintained  a distinctive 
character,  and  which  has  always  been  un- 
der a different  government  from  the  Re- 
public of  Liberia,  was  established  in  the 
early  part  of  the  year  1834.  Ever  since 
that  period,  it  has  continued  to  progress  in 
interest  and  importance;  and,  at  present,  it 
occupies  a prominent  position,  as  an  asy- 
lum for  the  proscribed  descendants  ofHam; 
to  whom  the  siren  song  of  “My  native 


land”  loses  its  mellowing  cadence  in  the 
thrilling,  patriotic  sound  of  “Sweet  land  of 
liberty.  ” 

This  interesting  Colony  is  located  about 
two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  by  sea  south- 
east from  Monrovia.  Harper , the  princi- 
pal town  or  settlement,  is  situated  near  the 
point  of  the  Cape,  (Cape  Palmas,  a bold 
projecting  promontory,  which  is  one  of  the 
most  prominent  points  or  land-marks  on  the 
western  coast  of  Africa;)  and,  from  the 
anchorage,  it  presents  a handsome  appear- 
ance. At  the  distance  of  about  half  a mile 
from  Harper  is  the  town  of  East  Harper; 
in  which  are  several  beautiful  sites  for 
I residences,  commanding  a fine  view  of  the 
ocean,  and  of  the  adjacent  hills  and  vales. 

| Between  these  two  villages,  there  are  two 
! large  native  towns,  comprising  several 
j!  hundred  houses,  which  present  a marked 
contrast  with  the  comfortable-looking  dwel- 
j lings  of  the  colonists.  At  the  distance  of 
about  two  and  a half  miles  beyond  East 
Harper  is  another  settlement,  called  Tub- 
mantown.  Most  of  the  land  near  the  road 
between  these  two  villages  is  occupied  by 
the  colonists;  so  that  on  both  sides  of  this 
highway,  many  neat  little  cottages  maybe 
seen,  and  many  handsome  gardens  and 
small  farms. 

The  whole  population  of  Maryland  in  Li- 
beria, exclusive  of  aborigines,  is  about 
| 1,000. 


CHAPTER  II. 


CLIMATE  AN 

The  territory  of  Liberia  being  within  j 
a few  degrees  of  the  equator,  of  course  j 
the  nature  of  the  climate  is  essential-  j 
Iy  different  from  that  of  the  United 
►States,  the  vicissitudes  of  spring,  sum- 1 
mer,  autumn,  and  winter  not  being  ex-  i 
perienced  in  the  equatorial  regions  of 
the  earth;  there  being  continued  sum- 
mer weather  throughout  the  year;  in- 


D SEASONS. 

terrupted  only  by  occasional  slight  varia- 
tions in  the  thermometrical  state  of  the  at- 
mosphere; caused  by  the  greater  strength 
of  the  ordinary  breezes,  and  by  clouds  and 
rain;  which  latter  prevail  so  much  more 
during  one  half  of  the  year  than  during 
the  other  half,  as  to  give  rise  to  the  usual- 
ly recognized  division  of  the  year  into  two 
seasons — the  wet  or  rainy  season , and  the 


10 


SKETCHES  OF  LIBERIA. 


January — harmattan  wind. 


dry  season;  or,  in  common  parlance,  “the  I 
rains”  and  “the  dries;”  the  former  of  j 
which  answers  nearly  to  summer  and  au-  | 
tumn,  and  the  latter  to  winter  and  spring,  | 
in  temperate  latitudes. 

This  unqualified  and  somewhat  arbitrary  j 
division  of  the  year,  however,  has  led  j 
many  persons  into  error,  respecting  the  j 
real  state  of  the  weather,  during  these  two 
seasons;  some  supposing  that  during  the  ! 
rainy  season,  more  or  less  rain  falls  every 
day;  and,  on  the  other  hand,  during  the 
dry  season,  an  uninterrupted  spell  of  hot 
and  dry  weather  prevails  for  six  successive 
months.  This  is  so  far  from  being  the 
case,  that,  as  a general  rule,  it  may  be 
stated,  that  some  rain  falls  in  every  month 
in  the  year;  and,  in  every  month,  there  is 
some  fine,  clear,  pleasant  weather.  During 
my  residence  in  Liberia,  I seldom  ob- 
served a deviation  from  this  general  rule. 
Much  more  rain,  however,  falls,  during 
the  six  months  beginning  with  May,  than 
during  the  remaining  six  months  beginning 
with  November.  It  is  difficult,  however, 
to  determine  at  what  time  each  of  the  two 
seasons  actually  commences  and  closes. 
As  a general  rule,  I think  the  middle  of 
May  may  be  set  down  as  the  beginning  of 
the  rainy  season,  and  the  middle  of  No- 
vember that  of  the  dry  season.  In  order, 
however,  to  give  an  accurate  and  compre- 
hensive statement  of  the  character  of  the 
climate  and  seasons  of  Liberia,  it  may  be 
the  best  plan  to  note  the  vicissitudes  of 
each  month  in  the  year,  as  they  are  usual- 
ly presented. 

January  is  usually  the  driest,  and  one  of 
the  warmest  months  in  the  year.  Some- 
times, during  this  month,  no  rain  at  all 
falls;  but  generally  there  are  occasional 
slight  showers,  particularly  at  night. 
Were  it  not  for  the  sea-breeze,  which  pre- 
vails with  almost  uninterrupted  regularity, 
through  the  greater  part  of  the  day,  on  al- 
most every  day  throughout  the  year,  the 


weather  would  be  exceedingly  oppressive, 
during  the  first  three  or  four  months  of  the 
year.  As  it  is,  the  oppressiveness  of  the 
rays  of  the  tropical  sun,  is  greatly  mitiga- 
ted by  the  cooling  breezes  from  the  ocean ; 
which  usually  blow  from  about  10  o’clock 
A.  M.  to  about  JO  P.  M.,  the  land-breeze 
occupying  the  remainder  of  the  night  and 
morning;  except  for  an  hour  or  two  about 
the  middle  of  the  night,  and  about  an  hour 
in  the  forenoon.  During  these  intervals, 
the  atmosphere  is  sometimes  very  oppres- 
sive. The  regularity  of  the  sea-breeze, 
especially  in  the  month  of  January , is  some- 
times interrupted  by  the  longer  contin- 
ance  of  the  land-breeze,  which  occasional- 
ly does  not  cease  blowing  until  2 or  3 
o’clock  P.  M.  This  is  what  is  called  the 
harmattan  wind  ; about  which  a great  deal 
has  been  written  ; but  which  does  not 
generally  fully  accord  with  the  forced  de- 
scriptions  of  hasty  observers  or  copyists. 

The  principal  peculiarity  of  the  harmat- 
tan wind  consists  in  its  drying  properties, 
and  its  very  sensible  coolness,  especially 
early  in  the  morning.  It  seldom,  perhaps 
never,  continues  the  whole  day  ; and  usu- 
ally not  much  longer  than  the  ordinary 
land-breeze,  at  other  times  in  the  year. 
When  this  wind  blows  pretty  strongly, 
the  leaves  and  covers  of  books  sometimes 
curl,  as  if  they  had  been  placed  near  a 
fire  ; the  seams  of  furniture,  and  of  wooden 
vessels,  sometimes  open  considerably,  and 
the  skin  of  persons  sometimes  feels  pecu- 
liarly dry  and  unpleasant,  in  consequence 
of  the  rapid  evaporation  of  both  the  sen- 
sible and  the  insensible  perspiration.  But 
these  effects  are  usually  by  no  means  so 
great  as  they  have  been  represented  to  be. 
What  is  generally  called  the  harmattan 
season  usually  commences  about  the  mid- 
dle of  December,  and  continues  until  the 
latter  part  of  February.  During  this  time, 
especially  in  the  month  of  January,  the 
atmosphere  has  a smoky  appearance,  sim- 


SKETCHES  OP  LIBERIA. 


11 


February,  March,  and  April — Tornadoes. 


ilar  to  what  is  termed  Indian  summer  in 
the  United  States,  but  generally  more 
hazy. 

The  average  height  of  the  mercury  in 
the  thermometer,  during  the  month  of 
January,  is  about  85°.  It  seldom  varies 
more  than  ten  degrees  during  the  twenty- 
four  hours  of  the  day  ; and  usually  it  does 
not  vary  more  than  four  degrees  between 
the  hours  of  10  A.  M.  and  10  P.  M.  In 
this  month,  however,  1 have  seen  the 
mercury  stand  at  the  lowest  mark,  at 
which  I ever  observed  it  in  Liberia,  that 
is,  at  68°.  This  was  early  in  the  morn- 
ing, during  the  prevalence  of  a strong 
and  very  cool  land-breeze.  In  this  month 
I have  also  seen  the  mercury  stand  at  the 
highest  mark,  at  which  I ever  observed 
it — that  is,  at  90°.  The  air  is  sometimes 
uncomfortably  cool  before  8 o’clock  A. 
M.,  during  this  month. 

During  the  month  of  February,  the 
weather  is  generally  similar  to  that  of  Jan- 
uary. There  are,  however,  usually  more 
frequent  showers  of  rain  ; and  sometimes, 
towards  the  close  of  this  month,  slight 
tornadoes  are  experienced.  The  harmat- 
tan  haze  generally  disappears  about  the 
last  of  this  month  ; and  the  atmosphere 
becomes  clear.  The  range  of  the  ther- 
mometer is  about  the  same  as  in  January. 

March  is  perhaps  the  most  trying  month 
in  Ihe  year  to  the  constitutions  of  new- 
comers. The  atmosphere  is  usually  very 
oppressive  during  this  month,  the  sun  be- 
ing nearly  vertical.  The  occasional  show- 
ers of  rain,  and  the  slight  tornadoes,  which 
occur  in  this  month,  do  not  usually  miti- 
gate the  oppressiveness  of  the  atmosphere, 
as  might  be  supposed.  The  variation  in 
the  state  of  the  atmosphere,  as  indicated 
by  the  thermometer,  seldom  exceeds  6° 
during  the  whole  of  this  month.  The  av- 
erage height  of  the  mercury  is  about  85°. 

April  is  significantly  called  the  “ tornado 
month,”  the  most  numerous  and  most 


violent  tornadoes  usually  occurring  during 
this  month.  The  ordinary  state  of  the 
weather,  in  reference  to  the  degree  of  heat, 
and  its  influence  on  the  system,  is  not  very 
different  from  that  of  the  three  preceding 
months.  The  showers  of  rain  are  usually 
more  frequent,  however;  and  the  visitations 
of  those  peculiar  gusts,  called  tornadoes, 
are  much  more  common  in  April,  than  in 
any  other  month.  These  are  sudden,  and 
sometimes  violent  gusts,  which  occur  much 
more  frequently  at  night,  than  during  the 
day.  Although  they  usually  approach 
suddenly  and  rapidly,  yet  certain  premoni- 
tory evidences  of  their  approach  are  almost 
always  presented,  which  are  generally 
easily  recognized  by  persons  who  have 
frequently  observed  them.  They  generally 
commence  from  northeast,  or  east-n  ortheast, 
and  rapidly  shift  around  to  nearly  south- 
east ; by  which  time  the  storm  is  at  its 
height. 

At  the  commencement  of  a tornado,  dark 
clouds  appear  above  the  eastern  horizon, 
which  rapidly  ascend,  until  a dense  lurid- 
looking  mass  spreads  over  the  whole  hemi- 
sphere As  the  heavy  mass  of  clouds  as- 
cends and  spreads,  the  roaring  sound  of 
the  wind  becomes  stronger  and  louder, 
until  suddenly  it  bursts  forth  in  its  fury 
sometimes  seeming  as  if  it  would  sweep 
away  every  opposing  object.  Very  seldom, 
however,  is  any  material  injury  sustained 
from  these  violent  gusts.  The  scene  is 
sometimes  awfully  grand,  for  fifteen  or 
twenty  minutes,  during  the  formation  and 
continuance  of  a heavy  tornado.  Some- 
times the  whole  hemisphere  presents  a scene 
of  the  deepest  gloom  ; the  darkness  of  which 
is  momentarily  illuminated  by  vivid  flashes 
of  lightning-,  in  rapid  succession  ; and  some- 
times tremendous  peals  of  thunder  burst 
upon  the  solemn  stillness  of  the  scene. 
The  rain  seldom  falls,  until  the  violence  of 
the  gust  begins  to  subside  ; when  a torrent 
usually  pours  down  for  a short  time,  seldom 


12 


SKETCHES  OF  LIBERIA. 


May— June— July — August — September— October — November. 


more  than  half  an  hour  ; after  which,  the 
wind  shifts  around  towards  the  west ; and 
generally,  in  about  an  hour  from  the  com- 
mencement of  the  tornado,  the  sky  be- 
comes serene,  and  sometimes  almost  cloud- 
less. 

The  weather  during  the  month  of  May  is 
usually  more  pleasant,  than  in  the  two 
preceding  months.  The  atmosphere  is  gene- 
rally not  quite  so  warm  and  oppressive. 
Sometimes  copious  and  protracted  showers 
of  rain  fall,  during  the  latter  half  of  this 
month.  Tornadoes  also  occasionally  ap- 
pear in  the  month  of  May.  The  average 
height  of  the  mercury  in  the  thermo- 
meter is  usually  two  or  three  degrees 
less  than  during  the  four  preceding 
months. 

June  is  perhaps  the  most  rainy  month  in 
the  year.  More  or  less  rain  usually  falls 
nearly  every  day  or  night  in  this  month. 
Although  there  are  sometimes  clear  and 
pleasant  days  in  June  ; yet  there  are  seldom 
twenty -four  successive  hours  of  entire  free- 
dom from  rain.  The  sun  is,  however, 
seldom  entirely  obscured  for  a week  at  a 
time  ; and  he  frequently  shines  out  brightly 
and  pleasantly,  in  the  interstices  between 
the  floating  clouds,  several  times  during  the 
day ; occasionally  for  several  hours  at  a 
time.  During  this  month,  as  in  all  the 
other  rainy  months,  more  rain  always  falls 
at  night  than  in  the  day  time  ; and,  indeed, 
there  are  very  few  days  in  the  year,  in 
which  the  use  of  an  umbrella  may  not  be 
dispensed  with  some  time  during  the  ordi- 
nary business  hours.  In  the  month  of 
June,  the  atmosphere  is  always  consider- 
ably cooler  than  in  the  preceding  months  ; 
and  I generally  found  it  necessary  to  wear 
woolen  outer  as  well  as  under  garments  ; 
and  to  sleep  beneath  thick  covering  at 
night,  in  order  to  be  comfortably  warm. 
The  sensible  perspiration  is  always  much 
less,  during  this  month,  and  the  five  suc- 
ceeding months,  than  during  the  other 


six  months  in  the  year.  The  mercury  in 
the  thermometer  seldom  rises  above  800  in 
this  month  ; the  average  height  being  about 
750. 

During  the  months  of  July  and  August , 
a great  deal  of  rain  also  generally  falls  ; but 
perhaps  less  in  both  these  months  than  in 
the  preceding  one.  There  is  always  a short 
season  of  comparatively  dry,  and  very 
pleasant  weather,  in  one  or  both  of  these 
months.  This  season  usually  continues 
from  three  to  five  weeks ; and  generally 
commences  about  the  20th  or  25th  of  July. 
Sometimes,  for  several  successive  days,  the 
sun  shines  brilliantly  and  pleasantly  all  day ; 
and  no  rain  falls  at  night.  The  air,  how- 
ever, is  always  refreshingly  cool  and  agree- 
able. This  is  perhaps  the  most  pleasant 
time  in  the  year.  This  is  what  is  commonly 
called  “the  middle  dries.”  It  seems  as  if 
Providence  has  specially  ordered  this  tempo- 
rary cessation  of  the  rains,  for  the  purpose  of 
permitting  the  ripening  and  gathering  of  the 
crops  of  rice,  which  are  generally  harvested 
in  August. 

September  and  October  are  also  generally 
very  rainy  months  ; especially  the  former. 
Sometimes  more  rain  falls  in  September, 
than  in  any  other  month  in  the  year.  To- 
wards the  close  of  October,  the  rains  begin 
to  be  less  copious ; and  sometimes  slight 
tornadoes  appear,  indicative  of  the  cessation 
of  the  rainy  season.  The  sea- breezes  are 
usually  very  strong,  during  these  two 
months  ; and  the  atmosphere  is  generally 
uniformly  cool,  and  invigorating  to  the 
physical  system. 

During  the  month  of  November,  the 
weather  is  generally  very  pleasant,  the 
temperature  of  theatmosphere  beingagree- 
able  to  the  feelings — not  so  cool  as  during 
the  five  preceding  months,  and  not  so  warm 
as  during  the  five  or  six  succeeding  ones  ; 
the  average  height  of  the  mercury  in  the 
thermometer  being  about  82°.  Frequent 
showers  of  rain  usually  fall  in  this  month. 


SKETCHES  OF  LIBERIA. 


13 


December— Extremes  of  heat  and  cold.— Productions— Rice. 


both  in  the  day  and  at  night ; but  general- 
ly they  are  of  short  duration.  Slight  tor- 
nadoes also  generally  appear  in  this  month. 
The  sun  may  usually  be  seen  a part  of 
every  day  in  the  month  ; and  frequently 
he  is  not  obscured  by  clouds  during  the 
whole  of  the  time  in  which  he  is  above  the 
horizon. 

December  is  also  generally  a very  pleasant 
month.  Occasional  slight  showers  of  rain 
fall  during  this  month,  sometimes  several 
sprinklings  in  one  day,  but  seldom  for 
more  than  a few  minutes  at  a time.  The 
mornings  in  this  month  are  peculiarly  de- 
lightful. The  sun  usually  rises  with  bril- 
liancy and  beauty  ; and  the  hills  and  groves, 
teeming  with  the  verdure  of  perpetual 
spring,  are  enriched  by  the  mingled  melody 
of  a thousand  cheerful  songsters.  Nothing 
that  I have  ever  witnessed  in  the  United 
States  exceeds  the  loveliness  of  a Decem- 
ber morning  in  Liberia. 

On  the  whole,  I regard  the  climate  of  Li- 
beria as  decidedly  pleasant ; notwithstanding 
the  scorching  rays  of  the  tropical  sun,  and 
the  ‘ ‘ abundance  of  rain  ” which  falls  during 
the  year,  especially  in  the  months  of  June, 
July,  September  and  October.  So  far  as  j 
the  pleasantness  of  the  climate  and  weather  j 


is  concerned,  1 would  decidedly  prefer  a 
residence  in  Liberia,  to  one  in  any  part  ot' 
the  United  States. 

The  extremes  of  the  thermometrical  state 
of  the  atmosphere  may  be  set  down  at  65° 
and  90°.  I have  never  heard  of  the  mercury 
in  a good  thermometer  having  sunk  below 
the  former,  nor  arisen  above  the  latter  point , 
in  the  shade.  The  average  height  of  the 
mercury,  during  the  rainy  season,  may  be 
set  down  at  about  76°,  and  during  the  dry 
season  at  84°.  The  mean  temperature  for 
the  year  is  about  80°. 

In  regard  to  the  comparative  healthiness 
of  the  two  seasons,  1 may  state,  that  my 
observations  fully  convinced  me,  that  the 
rainy  season  is  more  conducive  to  health 
than  the  dry  season,  in  both  new-comers 
and  old  settlers.  In  reference,  however, 
to  the  acclimating  process,  I think  that  no 
great  advantage  can  be  gained  by  arriving 
at  any  particular  time  of  the  year,  more 
than  at  any  other  time.  Unnecessary  ex- 
posure to  the  heat  of  the  sun  in  the  dry 
season,  and  to  the  rain  in  the  wet  season, 
should  alike  be  avoided.  Care  and  pru- 
dence should  be  exercised  by  new-comers 
at  all  times  during  the  year. 


CHAPTER  III. 

PRODUCTIONS. 


Nearly  all  the  different  kinds  of  grain, 
roots,  and  fruits,  peculiar  to  intertropi- 
cal  climates,  thrive  well  in  Liberia;  and 
many  garden  vegetables  that  belong  more 
properly  to  temperate  climates,  may  be 
raised,  in  quality  not  much  inferior  to 
the  same  kind  of  articles  produced  in  cli- 
mates peculiarly  adapted  to  their  growth 
and  maturation. 

The  only  kind  of  grain,  however, 
that  has  yet  been  cultivated  to  any  con- 
siderable extent,  is  Rice,  which  is  the  great 


staple  of  intertropical  Africa,  and  the  prin- 
cipal article  of  food  of  the  numerous  ab- 
original inhabitants.  It  is  also  used  exten- 
sively by  the  Liberians.  And  it  is  un- 
doubtedly the  most  wholesome  article  of 
food  which  can  be  used  in  that  country. 
It  is  not  cultivated  very  extensively  by  the 
Liberians , in  consequence  of  their  being  able 
generally  to  purchase  it  more  cheaply  from 
the  natives,  than  the  cultivation  of  it  would 
cost.  In  consequence,  however,  of  the  in- 
creasing demand,  it  has,  of  late  years, 


24 


SKETCHES  OF  LIBERIA. 


Indian  Corn— Sweet  Potatoes— Cassada— Yam. 


commanded  a better  price  than  formerly  ; 
which  has  induced  some  of  the  citizens  to 
engage  in  raising  it.  Until  within  the  last 
few  years,  scarcely  any  persons  attempted 
to  raise  it ; but  at  present  this  valuable  grain 
may  be  seen  growing  in  the  neighborhood 
of  several  of  the  settlements  in  Liberia. 
Although  it  grows  much  better  in  low,  wet 
land  ; yet  it  thrives  very  well  in  land  more 
elevated  ; such  as  will  produce  most  other 
articles  usually  cultivated.  It  is  generally 
sowed  in  April,  and  harvested  in  August. 
Sometimes  two  crops  may  be  made  in  one 
year  ; but  generally  only  one  is  made.  It 
yields  so  abundantly,  that,  notwithstanding 
the  extreme  indolence  of  the  natives,  who 
do  not  work  on  their  farms  three  months 
in  the  year,  they  usually  raise  much  more 
than  they  require. 

Indian  corn , or  maize,  will  grow  very 
well  on  some  lands  in  Liberia ; and  al- 
though it  does  not  thrive  so  well  as  in 
some  parts  of  the  United  States  ; yet  1 am 
quite  satisfied  that  it  might  be  cultivated 
much  more  extensively  in  Liberia  than  it 
ever  yet  has  been.  I have  seen  some  fine, 
large  ears  of  corn,  that  were  raised  on  the 
St.  Paul’s  river.  The  small-grained  corn, 
usually  called  Guinea-corn,  no  doubt  will 
grow  well  in  Liberia  (Guinea,  whence  its 
name  ;)  but  strange  to  say,  1 seldom  saw 
it  growing  there.  Tire  natives  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  settlements  seldom,  if  ever, 
raise  it. 

A variety  of  esculent  roots  may  be  raised 
in  Liberia  ; themost  common  of  which  are, 
the  sweet  potato , cassctda,  yam>  and  tania. 

Sweet  potatoes  may  be  raised  in  great 
abundance,  with  very  little  labor,  on  al- 
most every  kind  of  land,  at  any  time 
during  the  year.  I have  seen  them  grow- 
ing freely  in  the  sandy  soil,  within  fifty 
yards  of  the  ocean.  The  poorest  persons 
may  easily  have  a sufficiency  of  this  nu- 
tritious vegetable.  Those  raised  in  some 
parts  of  Liberia  are  very  fine.  They  gen- 


j erally  thrive  better  in  the  rainy  season, 
especially  on  the  high  lands  ; but  in  some- 
places,  they  thrive  very  well  in  the  dry 
season,  especially  on  the  flat  land  bordering 
j on  the  rivers  ; and,  in  many  places,  they 
j may  be  gathered  during  every  month  in  the 
! year,  from  the  same  piece  of  land. 

The  Cassada  (as  it  is  usually  called,  but 
I perhaps  more  properly  cassava)  is  a shrub,. 

| which  grows  from  four  to  eight  feet  in 
| height, having  several  white  fleshy  roots, 
covered  with  a coarse,  rough  skin.  The 
stem  of  the  shrub  is  round  and  jointed, 
| having  numerous  branches,  which  are  fur- 
nished  at  the  upper  part  with  alternate 
leaves,  divided  into  three,  five,  or  seven 
j acute  lobes.  The  root,  which  is  the  only 
part  that  is  used,  arrives  at  perfection  in 
from  nine  to  fifteen  months.  The  roots  vary 
in  size,  from  six  to  eighteen  inches  in  length, 
and  from  three  to  eight  in  circumference. 
In  taste,  when  not  cooked,  it  very  much 
' resembles  the  taste  of  a fresh  chestnut. 
This  vegetable  may  be  raised  abundantly, 

J on  any  kind  of  soil.  It  is  the  only  vege- 
table, except  rice,  that  is  cultivated  to 
; any  extent  by  the  natives.  It  is  usually 
' prepared  for  use  by  being  boiled,  after  the- 
i skin  or  rind  has  been  removed,  or  by 
; being  roasted  in  ashes*,  and,  when 
i properly  cooked,  it  is  very  palatable  and 
nutritious.  The  tapioca  of  the  shops  is 
the  fecula  of  the  root  of  the  cassada. 

I The  Yam  is  a slender,  herbaceous  vine, 
having  large  tuberous  roots,  sometimes 
i nearly  round,  but  generally  elongated,  like 
the  cassada,  but  much  larger.  The  roots 
i of  the  yam  are  sometimes  three  feet  long, 
I and  weigh  twenty  or  thirty  pounds.  They 
' usually  arrive  at  perfection  in  four  or  five 
months  ; and  they  yield  very  abundantly. 

| The  root  of  the  yam  is  more  farinaceous 
I or  mealy,  when  cooked,  than  that  of  the 
jj  cassada — almost  as  much  so  as  the  Irish 
: potato.  They  are  more  digestible  than 
!;  the  cassada  ; and  I think  more  palatable. 


SKETCHES  OF  LIBERIA. 


15 


Tania — Beans — Peas— Cabbages — Tomatoes— Cucumbers— Watermelons,  &c. 


The  yam  is  one  of  the  most  wholesome 
and  nutritious  esculent  roots  of  any  coun- 
try ; and  it  may  be  produced  in  any  desired 
quantity  in  Liberia. 

Tania  is  a delicate,  broad-leafed  plant, 
about  two  feet  in  height,  having  a bulbous 
root,  which,  when  prepared  like  Irish  po- 
tatoes, resembles  those  excellent  vegetables 
very  nearly  in  taste  ; and  it  is  a very  whole- 
some and  nutritious  article  of  food.  It 
may  be  raised  easily  and  abundantly. 

There  are  other  esculent  roots,  peculiar 
to  tropical  climates,  which  have  not  yet 
been  introduced  ; but  which,  no  doubt, 
would  thrive  well  in  Liberia.  I have  al- 
luded particularly  to  those  only  which 
have  been  introduced,  and  which  are  cul- 
tivated there — those  which  I have  seen  and 
eaten  myself.  And,  in  addition  to  those 
articles  to  which  I have  alluded,  I may 
name  a few  other  garden  vegetables,  that 
I have  seen  growing  in  Liberia  : the  most 
common  of  which  are,  Lima  or  butter  beans , 
snap  beans , black-eyed  peas,  cabbages,  toma- 
toes, cucumbers,  watermelons,  pumpkins, 
muskmelons , cantelopes,  beets,  radishes,  and 
carrots. 

Lima  beans  may  be  raised  abundantly, 
at  any  time  during  the  year.  In  conse- 
quence of  the  absence  of  frost,  the  vines 
live  and  bear  for  several  years  ; and  as  the 
beans  are  being  continually  reproduced, 
they  may  be  gathered  from  the  same  vines, 
during  every  month  in  the  year,  and  for 
three,  four,  five,  or  more,  successive 
years.  The  vines  yield  in  a few  months 
after  the  planting  of  the  bean,  so  that  no 
family  ought  ever  to  be  without  this  excel- 
lent vegetable.  They  are  equal  to  those 
raised  in  any  part  of  the  United  States. 

Black-eyed  peas  may  be  raised  in  any 
necessary  quantities.  They  come  to  ma- 
turity in  about  six  weeks  from  the  time  of 
planting  ; and  they  may  be  raised  at  any 
time  during  the  year. 

Cabbages  do  not  thrive  so  well  in  Liberia 


as  they  generally  do  in  the  United  States 
--that  is,  they  do  not  produce  so  fine  heads. 
They  grow  very  rapidly  ; and  sometimes 
the  stalk  attains  the  height  of  several  feet. 
They  do  not  generally  go  to  seed.  When, 
however,  good  seed  can  be  procured  from 
other  countries,  and  proper  attention  is 
given  to  the  cultivation  of  the  cabbage, 
fine,  large,  tender  heads  may  sometimes 
be  produced. 

Tomatoes  may  be  easily  raised  ; and 
when  the  seed  are  procured  from  abroad, 
the  fruit  is  large  and  well  flavored — equal 
to  the  produce  of  most  other  countries. 

Cucumbers  will  perhaps  thrive  as  well 
in  Liberia  as  in  any  other  country. 

Watermelons  thrive  as  well  in  some 
parts  of  Liberia,  as  in  most  parts  of  the 
United  States  ; especially  when  good  seed 
can  be  procured  from  abroad.  Some  as 
fine  watermelons  as  I ever  saw  were  rais- 
ed in  the  vicinity  of  Monrovia.  So  far 
as  I could  learn,  the  best  time  to  plant  the 
seed  is  in  March  or  April.  N 

All  the  other  articles  that  I have  enu- 
merated, and  several  other  garden  vege- 
tables, that  seem  to  belong  more  properly 
to  temperate  climates,  may  be  raised  in 
Liberia  without  any  difficulty,  if  the  seed 
can  be  obtained  from  those  countries  to 
which  these  vegetables  seem  to  be  pecu- 
liarly adapted.  Hence,  the  necessity  of 
importing  seeds,  if  persons  wish  to  have 
American  vegetables  on  African  tables. 
And  here  I would  particularly  recommend 
to  persons  who  intend  to  emigrate  to  Li- 
beria, to  take  with  them  a variety  of  gar- 
den seeds.  And,  in  order  to  protect  them 
from  being  injured  by  the  salt  air  of  the 
ocean,  I would  advise  that  they  should  be 
sealed  up  in  vials  or  bottles  ; or  wrapped 
in  paper,  and  packed  away  in  saw-dust. 

A great  variety  of  fruits  is  raised  in 
Liberia;  many  of  which  are  indigenous. 
The  principal  fruits  are,  the  orange,  lime, 
lemon,  pine-apple,  guava,  mango,  plantain, 

1 


16 


SKETCHES  OF  LIBERIA. 


Oranges — Limes — Pine  Apples— Guavas — Mango — Plantain. 


banana , okra,  papaw,  cocoanut,  tamarind,  II 
pomegranate , granadilla,  African  cherry, 
African  peach,  soursop,  sweetsop,  sorrel,  ca-  \ 
cao,  rose  apple,  and  cHota. 

The  Orange  tree  thrives  as  well  perhaps, 
and  bears  as  fine  fruit  in  Liberia  as  in  any  j 
other  part  of  the  world.  The  tree,  when  1 1 
full-grown,  is  about  the  size  of  ordinary  j! 
apple-trees  in  the  United  States,  but  much  I! 
more  handsome.  One  tree  usually  bears  jj 
as  many  oranges  as  an  apple-tree  of  the 
same  size  bears  apples.  Although  ripe 
oranges  may  be  procurtd  at  anytime  ofjj 
the  year,  yet  there  are  two  seasons  at1! 
which  they  are  more  plentiful  than  at 
other  times.  One  season  is  about  the  mid- 
die  of  the  year,  and  the  other  about  the 
close  of  the  year.  ]U  is  not  uncommon  to  ii 
see  blossoms,  buds,  young  fruit,  and  full-  u 
grown  fruit,  on  the  same  tree,  at  the  same 
time  ; so  that  while  some  of  the  oranges 
are  ripening,  others  are  being  produced. 
In  the  town  of  Monrovia,  many  orange' 
trees  may  be  seen  adorning  the  sides  of  the 
streets,  as  well  as  in  the  yards  and  gardens 
of  the  citizens. 

Limes  and  lemons  are  in  superabund- 
ance, in  nearly  every  settlement  in  Li-  | 
beria. 

Pine-apples  grow  wild  in  the  woods,  in 
great  abundance;  and  when  allowed  to  ri- 
pen, before  being  pulled,  they  are  very 
finely  flavored.  The  apple  grows  out  of 
the  centre  of  a small  stalk,  one  or  two  feet 
high,  and  it  is  surrounded  by  prickly, 
pointed  leaves  or  branches.  I have  seen 
thousands  of  them,  in  half  an  hour’s 
walk.  They  are  considerably  improved 
by  cultivation  in  good,  rich  land.  They  j 
are  not,  however,  a wholesome  fruit,  al-  i 


though  very  palatable;  and  many  persons 
have  made  themselves  sick  by  eating 
them  too  freely. 

Guavas  grow  very  abundantly,  on  trees 
about  the  size  of  ordinary  peach  trees. 
This  fruit  resembles  the  apricot  in  appear- 
ance, but  notin  taste.  It  is  not  very  pal- 


atable, when  uncooked ; though  some 
persons  are  very  fond  of  it.  [t,  however, 
makes  the  best  preserves,  and  the  best 
pies  of  any  fruit  with  which  I am  acquaint- 
ed. The  guava  jelly,  which  is  almost 
universally  regarded  as  a very  delicious 
article  is  made  from  this  fruit.  Though 
I believe  the  guava  tree  is  not  indigenous 
to  Liberia,  yet  it  grows  so  luxuriantly  as 
to  become  a source  of  much  inconve- 
nience in  some  places. 

The  Man  go,  (or  mango-plum,  as  it  is 
usually  called  in  Liberia,)  also  thrives 
well.  It  is  the  product  of  a handsome 
tree,  about  the  size  of  an  ordinary  apple- 
tree.  The  fruit  is  about  the  size  of  an  or- 
dinary apple,  but  oval,  or  egg-shaped.  In 
taste,  it  approaches  more  nearly  to  the 
American  peach,  than  any  other  tropical 
fruit  I ever  ate.  The  mango  makes  very 
superior  preserves. 

The  Plantain  is  a beautiful,  broad-leafed, 
tender,  fibrous  stalk,  that  grows  to  the 
height  of  from  eight  to  fourteen  feet.  The 
leaves,  which  are  the  continuation  of  the 
fibrous  layers  of  the  soft,  herbaceous 
stalk,  are  generally  about  six  feet  long, 
and  from  one  to  three  feet  broad.  The 
fruit-stem  proceeds  from  the  heart  of  the 
stalk  ; and,  when  full-grown,  it  is  about 
three  feet  long,  and  beautifully  curved, 
extending  about  two  feet  beyond  the 
cluster  of  fruit,  and  terminating  in  a singu- 
lar and  beautiful  purple  bulb,  formed  of 
numerous  tender  layers,  that  can  be  easily 
separated.  One  stalk  produces  only  one 
cluster  or  bunch  of  fruit;  and,  when  this 
is  removed,  by  cutting  the  stem,  the  stalk 
dies;  but  cions  spring  up  from  the  origi- 
nal root,  around  the  old  stock,  and  in  a 
few  months,  these  also  bear  fruit,  and  then 
die,  giving  place  to  other  new  stalks.  So 
that,  in  two  or  three  years  from  the  time 
of  the  first  planting,  the  number  of  stalks 
and  bunches  of  fruit  will  be  increased 
six-fold,  or  more.  The  venerable  parent- 
stock,  as  if  loth  to  leave  her  rising  pro» 


SKETCHES  OF  LIBERIA. 


17 


Banana — Okra— Papaw— Cocoanut. 


geny  unsheltered  from  the  sweeping  tor-  ! 
nado,  generally  continues  to  spread  her 
broad  leaves  over  them,  until  they  shall 
have  attained  a sufficient  size  to  stand 
firmly  before  the  destroying  blast  of  the 
storm-king; and  then,  one  by  one,  the  ex- 
pansive leaves  or  branches  wither,  and 
fall  to  the  ground,  leaving  the  aged,  worn- 
out  stalk  to  be  prostrated  by  the  passing 
breeze.  The  fruit  of  the  plantain  is  cyl- 
indrical and  slightly  curved,  somewhat 
tapering  towards  the  end.  It  is  usually 
from  six  to  nine  inches  long,  and  one  to 
two  in  diameter.  At  first,  it  is  of  a pale 
green  color;  but,  when  fully  ripe,  it  is 
yellow.  It  arrives  at  maturity  m about 
eight  months.  Most  persons  in  Liberia 
cut  the  bunches  before  the  fruit  has  ripen- 
ed; but,  it  is  much  better  when  it  is  al- 
lowed to  ripen  before  being  separated  from 
the  stalk.  It  is  usually  prepared  for  the 
table  by  being  boiled,  baked,  or  fried;  and 
it  is  perhaps  the  most  luscious  and  whole- 
some vegetable  of  tropical  climates,  and 
one  of  the  most  valuable  fruits  in  the  veg- 
etable kingdom.  It  may  be  produced  at 
any  time  in  the  year;  and,  with  a little  ju- 
dicious management,  every  family  may 
have  this  excellent  and  nutritious  article 
every  day  in  the  year. 

The  Banana  is  so  much  like  the  plan- 
tain, in  every  respect,  except  in  the  taste, 
and  a slight  difference  in  the  appearance 
of  the  fruit,  that  the  description  of  one 
will  answer  for  both.  Indeed,  it  is  diffi- 
cult to  distinguish  one  from  the  other, 
when  they  are  growing.  The  fruit  of  the 
banana  is  only  about  half  the  length  of  the 
plantain;  and  not  so  much  curved.  It  is 
also  much  softer  when  ripe,  and  is  more 
frequently  eaten  uncooked  ; although  it 
may  be  prepared  in  the  same  manner  as 
the  plantain.  The  taste  of  the  plantain 
very  much  resembles  the  taste  of  apples 
cooked  in  the  same  way;  while  that  of  the 
banana  is  sui  generis — unlike  any  fruit  of 
2 


the  United  States.  The  plantain  and  ba- 
nana trees  or  shrubs  are  among  the  most 
beautiful  vegetable  growths  of  tropica]  cli- 
mates. 

Okra  is  the  fruit  of  a small  tree,  ten  or 
twelve  feet  high.  It  is  a soft,  pulpy,  and 
very  mucilagenous  fruit;  which,  when 
boiled,  forms  a thick,  semi-fluid,  pleasant 
and  nutritious  article  of  food — an  excel- 
lent adjuvant  to  rice.  It  may  be  raised 
easily  and  abundantly  in  Liberia. 

The  Papaw  is  a tall,  slender,  herbaceous 
tree,  of  very  rapid  growth,  sometimes  at- 
taining the  height  of  thirty  feet.  The  body 
of  the  tree  is  usually  naked  to  within 
two  or  three  feet  of  the  top,  and  is  mark- 
ed with  the  cicatrices  of  the  fallen  leaves, 
which  wither  and  fall  as  the  tree  continues 
to  grow,  giving  place  to  others  above 
them.  Sometimes,  however,  there  are 
several  branches  attached  to  the  upper  part 
of  the  body  of  the  tree;  each  of  which 
branches  produces  a cluster  of  fruit.  The 
leaves  are  very  large,  have  long  footstalks, 
and  are  divided  into  numerous  lobes. 
The  fruit  is  nearly  round,  of  a pale-green 
color,  becoming  yellowish  as  it  ripens, 
and  is  about  the  size  of  the  head  of  a 
young  infant.  One  variety  of  the  papaw, 
however,  bears  fruit  of  an  elongated  shape 
somewhat  like  a pear;  but  considerably 
larger  than  the  other  variety.  The  fruit 
of  the  papaw  has  a sweetish  taste.  It  is 
very  soft;  and,  when  fully  ripe,  and  stew- 
ed, it  resembles  in  both  appearance  and 
taste  the  best  pumpkins  of  the  United 
States; — when  stewed,  before  it  has  ripen- 
ed, and  made  into  pie,  it  so  much  resem- 
bles the  green-apple  pie,  in  taste  as  well 
as  appearance,  that  the  most  fastidious 
epicure  might  be  deceived  by  it,  if  he  did 
not  stop  to  think  that  apples  do  not  grow 
in  Liberia. 

The  Cocoanut  is  perhaps  the  most  beau- 
tiful tree  of  tropical  climates.  It  has  long, 
curved  leaves  or  branches  ; that  hang 


SKETCHES  OF  LIBERIA. 


18 


Tamarind— African  Peach— Sour-sop— Sweet  sop,  &c. 


gracefully  from  the  upper  part  of  the  body, 
which  rises  sometimes  to  the  height  of 
thirty  feet,  or  more.  The  fruit  grows  in 
clusters  near  the  base  of  the  stalks  of  the 
leaves.  The  cocoanut  tree  is  seldom  rais- 
ed in  Liberia,  except  as  an  ornament.  A 
sew  of  these  stately  and  beautiful  trees 
may  be  seen  in  some  of  the  settle- 
ments. 

The  Tamarind  is  a large,  spreading  tree, 
having  very  small,  deep-green  leaves. 
The  fruit  grows  in  elongated  pods,  similar 
so  the  butter-bean.  Although  the  tama- 
rind is  indigenous,  and  thrives  as  well  per- 
haps in  Liberia  as  in  any  other  part  of 
he  world;  yet  the  people  do  not  give  any 
attention  to  the  gathering  of  the  fruit,  ex- 
cept for  their  own  use;  and,  indeed,  very 
few  seem  to  care  any  thing  about  it.  I 
hinkr  however,  it  might  be  made  a profit- 
able article  of  exportation. 

The  Pomegranate  is  a dense,  spiny 
shrub  ten  or  twelve  feet  high.  It  pro- 
duces beautiful  brilliant  large  red  flowers  ; 
and  the  fruit  is  about  the  size  of  a large 
tpple,  and  covered  with  a thick  coriaceous 
ri-nd.  It  is  filled  with  a multitude  of 
small  seeds;  and  the  pulp  is  slightly  acid 
and  astringent.  This  fruit  is  seldom  cul- 
tivated in  Liberia;  although  I presume  it 
will  thrive  as  well  as  in  most  other  parts 
>f  the  world. 

Tne  African  Cherry  (so  called  in  Libe- 
ria) is  a very  peculiar  fruit.  It  is  about 
he  size  of  the  ordinary  morello  cherry  of 
the  United  States  ; but,  in  taste,  it  more 
resembles  the  cranberry.  The  tree  is  usu- 
ally about  fifteen  feet  high.  The  great 
peculiarity  in  the  growth  of  this  fruit, 
consists  in  the  manner  in  which  the  short 
,;lems  are  attached  to  the  tree — not  to  the 
twigs  of  the  branches,  but  to  the  body  and 
larger  limbs  of  the  tree;  the  stems  of  the 
fruit  being  about  one-third  of  an  inch 
long.  This  fruit  makes  very  fme  tarts — 
espial  to  the  cranberry. 


The  African  Peach,  of  which  there  are 
several  varieties,  is  a large,  round,  acid 
fruit— one  variety  being  about  twice  the 
size  of  the  largest  peaches  in  the  United 
States.  These  trees,  some  of  which  are 
very  large,  grow  abundantly  in  the  for- 
ests of  Liberia.  The  fruit  is  used  only 
for  making  preserves;  which,  when  pro- 
perly made,  are  surpassed  only  by  the 
guava. 

The  Sour-sop  is  a large,  pulpy,  acidu- 
lous fruit,  which  grows  on  a tree  about 
the  size  of  an  ordinary  apple-tree.  The 
fruit  is  nearly  pear-shaped,  and  is  about 
as  large  as  an  ordinary  cantelope.  It  is 
covered  with  a thick,  knotty  rind.  When 
perfectly  ripe,  it  is  a very  pleasant  fruit  ; 
especially  when  a little  sugar  is  sprinkled 
over  the  pulp.  It  is  also  very  good  when 
fried  in  slices;  in  which  state  it  some- 
what resembles  in  taste  fried  sour  ap- 
ples. 

The  Sweet-sop  is  a fruit  somewhat  simi- 
lar to  the  sour-sop,  but  not  so  acidulous, 
nor  so  pleasant  to  the  taste.  It  is  seldom 
used. 

The  Cacao , from  which  chocolate  is  pro- 
duced, though  not  yet  extensively  culti  - 
vated, thrives  well  in  Liberia,  and  doubt- 
less might  be  made  a very  profitable  arti  - 
cle of  cultivation. 

The  Rose-apple  is  a small  round  fruit, 
which  takes  its  name  from  its  delightful 
fragrance.  It  is  not  very  palatable,  how  - 
ever, and  is  seldom  eaten. 

The  Granadilla  is  a large  fruit  that 
grows  on  a vine.  It  is  about  as  large  as 
a moderate-sized  cantelope.  Nc  part  of 
the  fruit  is  eaten,  except  the  seeds  and  the 
mucilagenous  substance  by  which  they 
are  surrounded.  These  are  loosely  con- 
fined in  the  centre  of  the  fruit.  The  taste 
of  this  mucilage  resembles  the  American 
strawberry  more  than  any  other  fruit  with 
which  I am  acquainted. 

The  Sorrel  is  a large  shrub,  having 
deep-red  blossoms;  wrhich  are  often  used 


SKETCHES  OF  LIBERIA. 


19 


Productions  continued — Exportable  articles— Coffee. 


for  making  tarts.  It  grows  freely  in  Li- 
beria, and  it  is  a very  handsome  orna- 
ment to  a yard  or  garden. 

The  Chiota  is  the  fruit  of  a vine.  It  is 
about  as  large  as  an  ordinary  pear.  When 
properly  prepared,  by  stewing,  it  affords 
a wholesome,  palatable,  and  nutritious  ar- 
ticle of  food;  and  it  may  be  easily  raised 
in  Liberia. 

The  celebrated  bread-fruit,  of  the  island 
of  Tahiti,  which  was  introduced  into  the 
British  West-India  Islands,  by  order  of 
the  government,  will  grow  well  in  Liberia. 
But,  as  there  are  so  many  other  articles 


of  a somewhat  similar  kind  that  are  pre- 
ferable to  it,  it  is  seldom  used. 

I have  seen  several  other  indigenous 
fruits  in  Liberia;  some  of  which  are  very 
palatable  ; some  very  fragrant,  but  not 
very  acceptable  to  the  palate  ; and  others 
not  possessing  any  good  qualities  to  re- 
commend them.  And  there  are  many 
other  kinds  of  fruits,  peculiar  to  tropical 
climates,  which,  no  doubt,  would  thrive 
well  in  Liberia  ; but  which  have  not  yet 
been  introduced.  I have  alluded  to  those 
only  that  I have  seen  growing  there,  and 
of  which  I have  eaten. 


CHAPTER  IV. 
production  s — continued. 


Exportable  Articles. — In  addition 
to  the  vegetable  productions  of  Liberia, 
to  which  I have  alluded,  there  are  some 
others  that  are  worthy  of  particular  no- 
tice; especially  as  they  are  the  principal 
exportable  articles,  some  of  which  may  be 
rendered  very  profitable  articles  of  com- 
merce. These  are,  Coffee,  Ginger,  Pepper, 
Sugar,  Ground-nuts,  Indigo,  Colton,  and 
.lrrow-root. 

In  reference  to  Coffee,  I am  quite  satis- 
fied that  the  soil  and  climate  of  Liberia 
are  as  well  adapted  to  the  cultivation  of 
ibis  article,  as  the  soil  and  climate  of  any 
other  part  of  the  world.  I believe  that  as 
good  coffee  can  be  raised  in  Liberia  as  in 
any  other  coffee-growing  country  ; and  I 
have  no  doubt  that,  by  proper  attention,  it 
may  be  raised  as  plentifully  as  in  any 
other  part  of  the  world.  These  opinions 
are  not  hastily  formed,  but  are  founded  on 
personal  observations  in  some  of  the 
West-India  Islands,  as  well  as  in  Liberia, 
and  on  frequent  convesrations  with  persons 
who  have  visited  various  other  parts  of  i 
the  world  in  which  coffee  is  cultivated,  j 
I have  frequently  seen  isolated  trees  grow-  i 
ing  in  different  parts  of  Liberia,  which  ; 


have  yielded  from  ten  to  twenty  pounds 
of  clean  dry  coffee  at  one  picking  ; and, 
however  incredible  it  may  appear,  it  is  a 
fact,  that  one  tree  in  Monrovia  yielded 
four  and  a half  bushels  of  coffee,  in  the 
hull,  at  one  time;  which,  on  being  shelled 
and  dried,  weighed  thirtij-one  pounds.  This 
is  the  largest  quantity  of  which  1 ever 
heard,  as  having  been  gathered  from  one 
tree;  and  it  was  the  largest  coffee  tree  I 
ever  saw,  being  upwards  of  twenty 
feet  high,  and  of  proportionate  dimen- 
sions. 

I have  given  particular  attention  to  ob- 
servations and  investigations,  respecting 
the  cultivation  of  coffee  in  Liberia  ; and 
I think  I may  safely  set  down  the  average 
quantity  that  may  be  raised,  by  proper 
cultivation,  at  four  pounds  to  each  tree — 
that  is,  each  tree  of  six  years  old  and  up- 
wards. The  coffee  tree  will  begin  to  bear 
in  three  years  from  the  time  at  which  the 
seeds  are  planted.  At  the  end  of  the 
fourth  year,  the  average  quantity  may  be 
I set  down  at  one  pound  to  each  tree;  at  the 
j end  of  the  fifth  year,  two  and  a half 
! pounds;  and,  at  the  end  of  the  sixth  year, 
j four  pounds.  About  three  hundred  trees 


20 


SKETCHES  OP  LIBERIA. 


Estimates  of  the  quantity  and  value  of  Coffee. 


can  be  planted  in  one  acre  of  ground,  al- 
lowing the  trees  to  be  twelve  feet  apart. 
Therefore,  in  four  years  from  the  time  the 
seeds  are  planted  in  the  nursery,  300 
pounds  of  coffee  may  be  gathered,  w'hich, 
at  ten  cents  a pound,  (a  very  moderate 
rate  for  Liberia  coffee,  which  has  fre- 
quently been  sold  for  twenty  cents  a pound 
in  this  country,)  would  be  worth  $30.  At 
the  end  of  the  fifth  year,  750  pounds  may 
be  gathered — worth  $75;  and  at  the  end  of 
the  sixth  year,  1,200  pounds — worth 
$120.  So  that,  in  six  years  from  the 
time  of  the  planting  of  the  seeds,  agreeably 
to  this  calculation,  2,250  poun  ds  of  coffee 
may  be  produced  on  one  acre  of  ground — 
worth  $225.  And,  accordingly,  ten  acres, 
properly  cultivated,  will  yield  during  the 
first  six  years,  an  income  of  $2,250  ; and 
at  least  $1,200  during  each  succeeding 
year. 

This  calculation  I regard  as  pretty  near- 
ly correct;  but  even  admitting  that  I have 
set  down  the  quantities  and  the  value  at 
one-fourth  more  than  they  should  be,  it 
will  still  appear,  that  the  cultivation  of 
coffee  may  be  rendered  a source  of  wealth 
in  Liberia,  even  supposing  that  nothing 
else  could  be  raised  for  exportation,  which 
is  by  no  means  the  case.  I am  quite  sat- 
isfied that  at  least  $100  a year  maybe  re- 
alized, by  proper  management,  from  the 
produce  of  one  acre  of  ground  cultivated 
in  coffee,  after  the  sixth  year  from  the 
time  of  planting  of  the  grains  in  the  nur- 
sery. And,  as  it  does  not  require  much 
labor,  one  person  may  easily  cultivate 
three  acres,  with  a little  hired  assistance 
in  clearing  the  land,  and  may  devote  one- 
half  of  his  time,  or  more,  to  the  cultivation 
of  other  articles,  for  the  use  of  himself  and 
family,  and  for  sale;, and  he  need  not  work 
more  than  five  or  six  hours  a day.  So 
that,  by  industry,  prudence,  and  econo- 
my, any  man  may  realize  at  least  $300  a 


year  for  his  labor,  over  and  above  the 
necessary  expenditures  of  himself  and 
family;  the  other  articles  which  he  may 
raise  being  quite  sufficient  for  the  com- 
fortable support  of  his  household.  I am 
aware  that  th  e truthfulness  of  this  state- 
ment has  seldom  been  exhibited  in  the  ag- 
ricultural operations  of  the  citizens  of  Li- 
beria ; but  this  fact  does  not  necessarily 
confute  the  truth  of  the  statement,  nor 
does  it  sufficiently  exhibit  the  impractica- 
bility of  its  being  fully  and  easily  carried 
out.  And  I might  add,  that  it  does  not 
require  the  exercise  of  profound  wisdom, 
even  in  a cursory  observer,  to  discover 
the  real  cause  why  the  feasibility  of  the 
result  of  the  foregoing  calculation  is  not 
more  frequently  exhibited. 

Coffee  is  indigenous  to  Liberia.  It  may 
frequently  be  seen  wild  in  the  woods.  It 
is,  however,  much  improved  by  cultiva- 
tion. The  most  approved  method  of 
raising  it,  is  to  plant  the  grains  in  a nur- 
sery, and  to  transplant  when  the  tree  has 
attained  the  height  of  a foot  and  a half. 
Some  trees  arrive  at  their  full  growth  in 
five  or  six  years  ; while  others  continue 
to  grow  more  than  'double  that  length  of 
time.  The  grains  grow  in  pairs,  covered 
with  a hull,  from  which  they  can  be  easi- 
ly separated  when  dry.  The  coffee 
blossom  is  a beautiful  and  highly  fragrant 
little  white  flower,  and  the  berry,  when 
fully  ripe,  is  of  a pale  red  color.  The  av- 
erage height  of  full  grown  trees  is  about 
eight  feet.  They  continue  to  bear  from 
ten  to  twenty  years.  I have  seen  some 
fine  flourishing  trees,  which  were  up- 
wards of  twenty  years  old.  As  the  coffee 
tree  is  easily  cultivated,  and  as  the  fruit 
is  easily  cured,  the  cultivation  of  this  pro- 
fitable and  useful  article  should  occupy  a 
portion  of  the  time  of  every  family  in 
Liberia. 

Next  to  coffee,  perhaps  Ginger  may  be 


SKETCHES  OF  LIBERIA. 


21 


Ginger— Pepper— Sugar-cane. 


made  the  most  profitable  article  of  culture,  I 
for  exportation.  The  superio  r quality  of 
this  article,  and  the  peculiar  adaptation  of 
almost  every  kind  of  soil  in  Liberia  to 
its  abundant  growth,  justifies  the  opinion 
that  it  may  be  rendered  a profitable  article 
of  commerce.  It  will  certainly  grow  as 
well  in  Liberia  as  in  any  other  part  of  the 
world;  and,  in  quality,  it  is  scarcely  infe- 
rior to  the  best  that  is  produced  in  any 
other  country.  I have  no  certain  data 
from  which  I can  determine  the  average 
quantity  of  ginger  that  may  be  raised  on 
a given  quantity  of  land  ; but,  from  what 
I have  seen,  I am  quite  satisfied  that  it 
may  be  raised  in  great  abundance,  with 
very  little  labor.  The  average  increase  is 
at  least  twenty-fold,  when  properly  culti- 
vated. From  six  to  eight  months  is  the 
time  usually  required  for  its  growth  and 
maturation. 

Bird,  Pepper , which  is  known  in  the 
United  States  as  “ African  Cayenne  Pep- 
per,” is  an  indigenous  article,  that  may 
be  found  almost  every  where  throughout 
Liberia.  I have  frequently  seen  great 
quantities  of  it  growing  wild  in  the  woods. 
And  if  a little  attention  were  given  to  the 
cultivation  of  it,  thousands  of  pounds 
might  be  annually  exported.  It  grows  on 
bushes  about  four  feet  high.  The  pods 
are  generally  about  half  an  inch  long,  and 
one  thir^  of  an  inch  in  circumference.  I 
One  species,  however,  is  four  or  five  times 
this  size.  The  smaller  kind  is  generally 
preferred.  In  quality,  it  is  perhaps  not 
equalled  by  that  raised  in  any  other  coun- 
try. The  cultivation  of  it  requires  scarce- 
ly any  attention;  and  the  only  preparation 
of  it  for  the  market,  consists  in  picking 
the  pods  and  spreading  them  out  to  dry. 
The  shrub  grows  very  rapidly,  and  the 
fruit  arrives  at  maturity  in  six  or  eight 
months  from  the  time  of  planting.  It 
yields  more  abundantly  about  the  begin- 
ning of  the  year;  but  as  the  fruit  contin-  ; 


I ues  to  be  reproduced  throughout  the  year, 
it  may  be  collected  at  any  time.  The  na- 
tives use  it  very  freely.  It  is  not  un- 
common to  see  them  with  a bunch  of 
pepper  in  one  hand  and  a roasted  cassada 
in  the  other,  taking,  with  each  bite  of  the 
latter,  one  of  the  pods  of  the  former,  one 
of  which  pods  would  serve  to  pepper  a 
j full  meal  for  a person  not  so  accustomed 
to  its  use.  Perhaps  the  reader  of  this  may 
wonder  why  pepper  is  not  more  freely 
gathered  and  exported,  as  it  grows  so 
abundantly  in  the  wild  state,  and  as  it 
may  be  so  very  easily  cultivated.  To 
this  I can  only  respond,  echo  answers, 
why  ? 

Sugar-cane  will,  perhaps,  thrive  as  well 
in  Liberia,  as  in  any  other  country.  I 
have  seen  stalks  more  than  fifteen  feet 
high,  and  two  or  three  inches  in  diameter. 
The  average  size  of  the  stalks  is  consider- 
ably larger  than  those  raised  in  the  island 
of  Barbadoes,  and  the  juice  is  equally 
sweet,  and  proportionably  more  abundant. 
This  I have  tested,  by  personal  observa- 
tions. Sugar,  however,  probably  will  not 
soon  become  a profitable  article  of  ex- 
portation, in  consequence  of  the  inability 
of  the  Liberians  to  compete  with  the 
West-India  planters.  Liberia,  however, 
may  be,  and  ought  to  be,  independent  of 
all  the  rest  of  the  world  for  this  luxury. 
Every  farmer  ought  to  raise,  not  only 
enough  of  this  article  for  the  use  of  his 
own  family,  but  some  to  dispose  of  to 
his  mercantile,  mechanical,  and  profes- 
sional neighbors.  And,  even  if  he  cannot 
conveniently  manufacture  the  sugar,  in 
any  considerable  quantity,  he  can  cer- 
tainly express  enough  of  the  juice  in  a 
few  hours,  with  his  own  hands,  in  a mill 
of  his  own  construction,  to  make  several 
gallons  of  syrup,  (not  molasses,  but  a 
much  better  article,)  which  answers  very 
well  for  every  practical  or  necessary  pur- 
l pose. 


22 


SKETCHES  OF  LIBERIA. 


G roun  d - n uts— C otton— Arrow-root. 


Ground-nuts,  or  pea-nuts,  may  be  rais- 
ed in  great  abundance,  in  Liberia.  And, 
as  these  nuts  generally  find  a ready  mar- 
ket in  the  United  States,  and  in  Europe, 
they  certainly  will  richly  repay  the  Libe- 
rian farmer  for  the  little  trouble  and  labor 
which  their  cultivation  requires.  I do  not 
know  w'hat  quantity  may  be  raised  on  a 
given  portion  of  land,  but  I do  know  that 
they  yield  very  abundantly. 

Although  the  cultivation  of  Indigo  has 
not  met  with  much  attention  in  Liberia — 
comparatively  few  persons  having  given 
any  attention  at  all  to  it — yet,  as  the  in- 
digo plant  grows  so  luxuriantly,  and  may 
be  raised  so  easily,  the  manufacture  of 
indigo  is  certainly  worthy  of  particular 
notice.  The  plan,t  grows  so  abundantly 
in  Liberia,  that  it  constitutes  one  of  the 
most  troublesome  weeds  in  the  gardens, 
and  even  in  the  streets  of  the  settlements. 
And,  with  a little  skill  and  industry  in 
preparing  the  indigo,  it  may  be  rendered 
one  of  the  most  profitable  crops  that  can 
be  produced  in  tropical  climates.  The 
plant  arrives  at  maturity  in  three  or  four 
months  from  the  time  of  planting  the 
seed  ; and  as  it  springs  up  again,  in  a few 
weeks  after  having  been  cut,  one  crop 
will  yield  five  or  six  cuttings  in  the  course 
of  the  year.  Several  varieties  of  the  in- 
digo plant  may  be  found  growing  wild  in 
Liberia,  all  of  which  yield  very  fine  indigo, 
some  of  which  is  perhaps  equal  to  that  pro- 
duced in  any  other  part  of  the  world.  The 
preparation  of  indigo  requires  a little  more 
patience  and  industry  than  the  Liberians 
generally  are  in  the  habit  of  bestowing  on 
any  one  article  of  agriculture  ; which  is 
the  principal  cause  why  it  has  not  been 
more  extensively  manufactured. 

Cotton  has  not  yet  been  cultivated  to  a 
sufficient  extent  to  enable  me  to  determine 
from  observation  whether  it  may  be  made 
a very  profitable  article  of  agriculture. 
Several  old  cotton  planters,  who  had 


grown  grey  in  raising  cotton  in  Georgia, 
Mississippi,  and  other  Southern  States, 
before  they  went  to  Liberia,  have  repeat- 
edly told  me,  that  the  cotton-tree  or  shrub 
will  grow  as  well,  and  yield  as  abundant- 
ly in  Liberia  as  in  any  part  of  the  United 
States.  The  natives  in  the  interior  manu- 
facture cotton  goods  pretty  extensively 
from  the  indigenous  growth,  of  which 
there  are  several  varieties.  The  best 
grows  on  trees  or  shrubs  eight  or  ten  feet 
high — similar  to  those  raised  in  the  United 
States,  but  larger  in  the  average  size. 
And,  as  the  trees  are  not  injured  by  frosts, 
of  course  they  continue  to  bear  for  several 
years.  1 doubt  not  that  Liberia  might 
become  one  of  the  most  important  cotton- 
growing countries  in  the  world. 

Arrow-root  probably  thrives  as  well  in 
Liberia  as  in  any  other  part  of  the  world. 
This  is  a tender  plant,  which  usually 
grows  to  the  height  of  two  or  three  feet. 
The  stems,  of  which  several  rise  from  the 
same  root,  are  round,  branched,  jointed, 
and  leafy.  The  leaves  resemble  the  com- 
mon sword-grass.  They  are  alternate  ; 
and  are  from  three  to  six  inches  in  length. 
The  root,  which  is  the  only  part  used,  is 
beautifully  cylindrical,  straight,  and  taper- 
ing, (hence  the  name  of  the  plant,)  fleshy, 
scaly,  and  furnished  with  numerous  long, 
white  fibres;  and  is  usually  from  three  to 
eight  inches  in  length.  This  plant  is  one 
of  the  most  luxuriant  growths  in  Liberia, 
ft  is  easily  propagated,  and  it  arrives  at 
maturity  in  about  five  months.  In  pre- 
paring it  for  use,  the  roots  are  washed, 
and  then  beat  into  a pulp,  which  is  thrown 
into  a tub  of  water,  and  agitated,  so  as  to 
separate  the  fibres  from  the  amylaceous 
part;  the  latter  of  which  remains  suspend- 
ed in  the  water,  while  the  former  is  re- 
moved. The  milky  fluid,  thus  formed,  is 
strained,  and  allowed  to  stand  several 
hours,  until  the  fecula,  or  starch,  shall 
have  settled  at  the  bottom  of  the  vessel,  it 


SKETCHES  OP  LIBERIA. 


23 


Arrow-root — a substitute  for  flour. 


is  then  washed  with  a fresh  portion  of 
water,  strained  again,  and  allowed  to  sub- 
side again;  this  process  sometimes  being 
performed  three  or  four  times;  after  which, 
it  is  spread  out,  and  dried  in  the  sun. 
About  eight  pounds  of  the  pure  powder 
or  flour  may  be  produced  from  a bushel  of 
the  roots. 

As  arrow-root  may  be  produced  so 
abundantly  in  Liberia  ; and  as  it  is  one  of 
the  most  important  exportable  articles,  as 
well  as  one  of  the  most  valuable  articles  of 
food,  it  deserves  particular  notice.  The 
cultivation  of  the  plant  requires  so  little 
labor  or  attention,  and  the  process  of  man- 
ufacturing the  fecula  from  the  roots  is  so 
very  simple  and  so  easily  performed,  that 
I am  quite  certain  this  article  may  be  ren- 
dered a source  of  wealth  by  exportation. 
From  having  frequently  seen  it  growing, 
and  having  seen  the  quantity  which  a very 
small  piece  of  ground  produced,  I think 
the  average  quantity  that  may  be  raised 
on  almost  every  kind  of  soil  in  Liberia, 
may  be  safely  and  truly  set  down  at  one 
hundred  bushels  to  the  acre;  that  is,  eight 
hundred  pounds  of  pure  manufactured 
arrow-root,  or  fecula.  An  old  gentleman 
at  Monrovia,  who  has  raised  a consider- 
able quantity  of  it,  stated  to  me,  that,  from 
the  quantity  he  has  made  from  a certain 
portion  of  land,  he  was  quite  satisfied  that 
one  acre,  properly  cultivated,  will  yield 
two  thousand  pounds.  And  a farmer  at 
Caldwell  assured  me  that  he  made  one 
hundred  and  thirty  pounds  from  the  pro- 
duce of  one-sixteenth  of  an  acre  of  ground. 
But,  as  it  will  be  perceived,  I have  placed 
the  average  quantity  at  less  than  one-half 
of  the  proportionate  quantity  that  has  actu- 
ally been  raised  ; and  this,  I think,  is  not 
beyond  a fair  estimate.  Assuming  there- 
fore, that  one- half  an  acre  will  produce 
four  hundred  pounds,  (a  quantity  which 
almost  any  family  may  easily  raise  and 
manufacture,)  and  allowing  the  average 


net  price  to  be  only  fifteen  cents  a pound 
it  will  appear  that  $60  may  be  realized  frotu 
this  small  quantity  of  land  ; with  compara- 
tively little  labor. 

During  the  last  few  years,  arrow-root 
has  been  used  pretty  extensively  in  Liberia; 
as  a substitute  for  wheat-flour  ; and,  as  I 
have  frequently  eaten  it,  in  various  forrm: 
of  bread,  I hesitate  not  to  say,  that  I be- 
lieve it  to  be  not  only  a good  substitute  for 
flour,  but  much  more  suitable  and  whole- 
some for  persons  residing  in  tropical  cli- 
mates. It  makes  very  fine  biscuits,  either 
alone  or  when  mixed  with  a small  quantity 
of  sweet  potatoes.  It  also  makes  very 
good  pie-crust ; and  I have  seen  light  or 
leavened  bread,  made  of  arrow-root,  which 
so  much  resembled  wheat-flour  bread,  in 
both  appearance  and  taste,  as  to  deceiv* 
professed  judges.  Besides  these,  I hav< 
eaten  the  nicest  kind  of  pound  and  other 
sweet  cakes,  made  of  this  article,  instead 
of  flour,  with  the  ordinary  adjuvants. 

The  foregoing  named  articles  constitute 
the  principal  exportable  articles  of  agricul- 
ture, that  may  be  raised  in  Liberia.  And 
I have  endeavored  to  give  faithful  and 
truthful  statements,  in  reference  to  each  of 
them.  And,  while  I regret  that  greater  a'. 
tention  has  not  yet  been  given  to  the  culti- 
vation of  these  articles,  I cherish  the  hope 
that  the  period  will  arrive  at  which  all  of 
them  will  be  cultivated  extensively  ; ifnot 
by  the  present  inhabitants,  by  others  who 
may  emigrate  thither,  having  more  energy, 
industry,  and  perseverance.  I candidly 
believe,  that  a man  may  acquire  more 
wealth  in  Liberia  by  judicious  manage- 
ment in  the  cultivation  of  the  soil,  than  he 
could  acquire  in  any  part  of  the  United 
States  with  double  the  quantity  of  land, 
double  the  amount  of  labor,  and  in  double 
the  length  of  time  ; even  allowing  for  all 
the  disadvantages  under  which  he  may 
have  to  labor  in  Liberia,  and  all  the  facili- 
ties which  he  might  have  in  the  United 


24 


SKETCHES  OP  LIBERIA. 


Productions  continued— Palm— Camwood,  &c. 


States.  I am  quite  certain,  that,  by  pur- 
suing a regular,  systematic,  and  persever- 
ing course  of  agricultural  industry  and 
frugality,  the  citizens  of  Liberia  may,  with 
no  other  means  than  those  which  every 
individual  can  readily  procure,  produce 
not  only  enough  of  those  articles  that  are 
peculiar  to  tropical  climates,  for  their  own 


use,  but  a large  surplus  for  exportation. 
And,  any  man  in  Liberia,  who  enjoys  a 
tolerable  degree  of  health,  and  who  does 
not  live  comfortably  and  independently, 
may,  without  any  violation  of  the  princi- 
pies  of  truth  or  justice,  charge  the  defi- 
ciency to  his  own  account. 


CHAPTER  V. 
production  s — continued. 


One  of  the  most  important  and  valuable 
indigenous  articles  of  the  vegetable  kingdom 
in  intertropical  Africa,  is  the  Palm ; which  is 
one  of  the  most  remarkable  and  useful  trees 
in  the  world.  There  are  two  or  three  varieties 
of  the  palm  in  Liberia  ; one  of  which , by  its 
towering  height  and  graceful  appearance, 
attracts  particular  attention.  The  tree  that 
yields  the  nuts  from  which  oil  is  extracted, 
seldom  grows  to  the  height  of  more  than 
twenty -five  feet.  It  resembles  the  cocoanut 
tree,  having,  like  that,  long  leaves  or 
branches,  attached  to  the  upper  part  of  the 
body  of  the  tree,  and  which  hang  in  grace- 
ful curves.  The  fruit  grows  in  clusters 
or  bunches,  near  the  base  of  the  stalks  of 
the  leaves.  The  nut  is  oval,  about  an  inch 
long;  and,  when  ripe,  is  of  a deep  red 
color.  The  oil  is  extracted  from  the  pulp 
of  the  nut,  which  yields  very  abundantly. 
It  is  manufactured  by  the  natives  ; and  sev- 
eral hundred  thousand  gallons  are  annually 
exported  from  Liberia.  Palm  trees  may 
be  seen  in  every  part  of  Liberia,  adorning  I 
the  hills  and  valleys  ; and  furnishing  not 
only  great  quantities  of  oil  for  exportation, 
as  well  as  for  domestic  uses,  but  yielding  a 
variety  of  other  useful  substances  ; — a pe- 
culiar beverage  called  “ palm  wine,”  pro- 
cured by  tapping  the  tree,  and  which  in 
taste  very  much  resembles  wine-whey  ; 
also  a substance  that  grows  at  the  top  of 
the  tree,  called  “palm-cabbage;”  and 
which,  when  boiled,  has  an  agreeable 


taste  ; — and  from  the  fibres  of  the  leaves 
the  natives  get  materials  for  making  baskets, 
hats,  &c.  Palm  oil  is  extensively  used  by 
the  Liberians  as  a substitute  for  sperm  oil 
and  candles  ; and  also  in  culinary  opera- 
tions, as  a substitute  for  lard  and  butter. 
And,  for  all  needful  purposes,  to  which 
those  articles  are  applied,  it  answers  very 
well.  The  average  price  of  palm  oil  in 
Liberia  is  about  thirty-three  cents  a gallon. 

Another  valuable  tree,  which  is  indi- 
genous and  peculiar  to  intertropical  Africa, 
is  the  Camwood  ; which  grows  abundantly 
in  the  forests,  about  a hundred  miles  from 
the  coast.  This  is  one  of  the  most  valu- 
able dye-woods  in  the  world  ; and  hun- 
dreds of  tons  are  annually  exported  from 
Liberia. 

The  Palma-christi,  the  seeds  of  which 
yield  Castor  oilr  is  also  indigenous  to  Libe- 
ria ; and  I have  no  doubt  that  the  regular 
cultivation  of  this  valuable  shrub  would 
richly  repay  the  laborer  for  the  little 
trouble  that  it  would  require. 

The  tree  which  yields  the  medicinal  bal- 
sam, called  Copavva,  may  also  be  seen  oc- 
casionally growing  wild  in  the  forests  of 
Liberia  ; and  I doubt  not  that  the  juice 
might  be  collected  in  sufficient  quantities 
to  become  a valuable  article  of  exportation. 

Several  varieties  of  the  Acacia  (Gum 
Arabic  tree)  grow  in  Liberia  ; and  some 
of  the  gum  is  of  superior  quality. 

I have  seen  some  specimens  of  Olibanum 


SKETCHES  OF  LIBERIA 


25 


Animals.  Elephants — Leopards — Hippopotami — Crocodiles — Deer — Monkeys,  &c. 


(Frankincense,)  which,  as  the  natives  in- 
formed me,  were  collected  from  large  trees 
that  grow  abundantly  in  the  forest. 

f have  frequently  seen  the  Caoutchouc , or 
guiu-elastic  tree,  growing  in  Liberia  ; some 
of  which  are  forty  feet,  or  more,  in  height. 

The  forests  of  Liberia  also  furnish  many 
different  kinds  of  valuable  timber,  well 
suited  for  ship  or  boat  building,  cabinet 
work,  and  all  the  various  operations  in  car- 
pentry ; the  principal  of  which  are  Wist- 
more,  Brimstone,  Rose-wood,  Mulberry, 
Bastard  Mahogany,  Saffron,  Mangrove, 
African  Oak,  Hickory,  Poplar,  Persim- 
mon and  Sassa-wood.  Some  of  these 
make  very  beautiful  cabinetwork. 

A considerable  variety  of  medicinal 
plants,  besides  those  to  which  I have  al- 
luded, may  be  found  in  Liberia  ; among 
which  is  the  Croton  Tiglium , a small  tree 
or  shrub,  with  spreading  branches,  yield- 
ing a capsular  fruit,  from  the  seeds  of 
which  croton  oil  is  extracted. 

Animals. — The  principal  wild  animals 
which  infest  the  forests  or  rivers  of  Libe- 
ria, are  the  Elephant,  Leopard,  Hippopot- 
amus, Crocodile,  Porcupine,  Wild  Hog, 
Boa  Constrictor,  several  varieties  of  the 
Deer,  and  several  of  the  Ape. 

Elephants  are  quite  numerous  about  a 
hundred  miles  back  in  the  interior  ; and 
tlve  natives  make  a regular  business  of 
hunting  and  killing  them,  for  the  ivory  of 
which  their  tusks  are  composed.  These 
animals  were  formerly  frequently  seen  in 
the  vicinity  of  some  of  the  settlements  ; 
but  they  are  now  seldom  seen  within  fifty 
miles  of  the  sea-coast. 

Leopards  are  occasionally  seen  prowling 
about  the  outskirts  of  some  of  the  settle- 
ments ; and  they  sometimes  carry  away  ! 
small  domesticated  animals  at  night.  But ; 
they  are  much  less  numerous  and  trouble- 
some, than  formerly.  They  never  attack  a 
person,  except  after  having  been  wounded. 

Hippopotami  are  occasionally  seen  on  the 


banks  of  the  rivers,  some  of  them  of  im- 
mense size — weighing  a thousand  pounds,, 
or  more.  They  are  sometimes  killed  by 
the  natives.  They  are  harmless  animals  ; 
and  they  always  endeavor  to  escape,  when 
interrupted,  by  plunging  into  the  water. 

Crocodiles,  (erroneously  called  Alliga- 
tors) are  frequently  seen  basking  in  the 
sunshine  on  the  banks  of  the  rivers,  or  on 
the  little  rocky  islands.  They  always 
make  their  escape  into  the  water,  when 
approached  by  a person  on  shore,  or  in  a 
boat  or  canoe. 

Boa  Constrictors  are  sometimes  killed  in 
the  forests  in  Liberia.  The  largest  lever 
saw  was  fifteen  feet  long,  and  fifteen  inches 
in  circumference.  Much  larger  ones  have 
been  killed.  I never  heard  of  their  attack- 
ing an  individual.  Serpents,  however,  are 
much  less  numerous  in  Liberia  than  is 
generally  supposed  ; and  poisonous  snakes 
are  perhaps  less  common  than  in  many 
parts  of  the  United  States. 

Deer  are  very  numerous,  and  they  af- 
ford excellent  vension. 

Monkeys  are  found  in  great  numbers  in 
the  forests.  1 have  seen  a dozen,  or  more, 
at  one  time,  jumping  from  tree  to  tree, 
with  great  dexterity.  Several  species  of 
the  ape  tribe  are  occasionally  caught  by 
the  natives  ; among  which  is  the  Chimpan- 
zee, so  remarkable  for  its  near  approxima- 
tion in  appearance  to  the  human  race. — 
Some  of  these  “wild  men  of  the  woojds’5' 
have  been  seen  as  large  as  an  ordinary 
sized  man.  The  largest  that  I ever  saw 
was  about  the  size  of  a child  two  or  three 
years  old.  The  old  ones  are  never 
caught,  and  are  seldom  killed.  They  are 
very  powerful,  as  well  as  very  active. 

Besides  these,  the  Guana,  the  Ichneumon , 
the  Sloth,  the  beautiful  and  ever-changing 
Cliametion,  many  varieties  of  Lizards,  and 
several  species  of  Ants,  may  frequently  be 
seen. 

One  variety  or  species  of  ants  is  very  re- 


SKETCHES  OF  LIBERIA. 


*26 


Ants — Drivers— Domesticated  Animals. 


markable,  in  consequence  of  the  immense  |j 
conical  mounds  of  earth  which  they  rear,  jj 
and  in  which  they  make  their  nests. — 
These  mounds  are  sometimes  ten  or  twelve 
feet  high,  and  eight  or  ten  feet  in  diameter  jj 
at  the  base.  These  ants  are  about  the  1 1 
size  of  the  large  black  ant  in  the  United 
States.  The  queen,  however,  is  much 
larger — some  of  them  two  inches  in  length 
and  nearly  two  inches  in  circumference. — 
In  the  interior  of  the  mound,  about  half- 
way from  the  bottom,  is  a large  vaulted 
chamber,  the  floor  of  which  is  very  hard 
and  smooth.  In  the  centre  of  the  floor  is 
the  nest,  in  the  inmost  recess  of  which, 
lives  the  queen  in  luxurious  ease,  accom- 
panied by  the  king,  whose  size  does  not 
vary  much  from  the  ordinary  ant,  but  who 
is  easily  recognized  by  a striking  difference 
in  physical  conformation.  When  the 
queen  dies,  or  is  captured,  all  the  ants  de- 
sert the  hill,  which  is  left  to  “ crumble  into 
dust  again.”  Many  of  these  deserted 
mounds  may  be  seen  in  almost  every  part 
of  Liberia. 

Another  species  of  ants  (familiarly 
known  by  the  name  of  Drivers)  is  still 
more  remarkable.  They  are  about  the 
size  of  the  black  ant  of  America — that  is, 
about  one-fourth  to  one-half  of  an  inch  in 
length.  They  may  frequently  be  seen 
marching  along,  in  the  most  systematic  or- 
der and  regularity  of  movement.  They 
move  in  a solid  compact  column  of  great 
length  ; and  they  appear  to  be  under  the 
direction  of  able  leaders  and  rigid  disci- 
plinarians. No  common  obstacle  turns 
them  out  of  then-  course  ; and  whoever  is 
so  unfortunate  as  to  come  in  their  line  of 
march  will  have  to  pay  for  his  temerity  ; 
and  will  be  reminded  to  be  more  careful  in 
future.  Hundreds  seize  fiercely  on  the  in- 
truding foot,  and  the  unwary  object  of 
their  vengeance  is  compelled  to  retreat 
from  the  scene  of  attack.  These  tiny 


warriors  are  very  troublesome ; but 
they  are  exceedingly  useful  in  expelling 
noxious  vermin  from  every  place  into 
which  they  may  enter  in  the  course  of  their 
perambulations.  Whenever  a battalion  of 
drivers  entersa  dwellinghouse,  the  inmates 
are  obliged,  for  the  time,  to  yield  undis- 
puted possession,  at  least  of  that  part  of 
the  house  which  the  little  warriors  maybe 
searching.  They  are  not,  however,  al- 
ways unwelcome  visitors  ; for  they  never 
fail  to  expel  rats,  mice,  and  every  species 
of  vermin — making  a clean  sweep  as  they 
go.  Whenever  they  come  to  a small  wa- 
ter-course, the  larger  and  stronger  ones 
dexterously  form  themselves  into  an  arch, 
by  clinging  to  each  other  ; thus  making  a 
bridge,  over  which  the  smaller  ones  pass 
dry-shod.  Even  in  their  ordinary  march 
over  level  ground,  they  seem  to  cling  to 
, each  other  in  a solid  phalanx  ; the  strong- 
er ones  occupying  the  flanks,  and  arching 
, themselves  over  the  weaker  ones,  who  of  - 
j cupy  the  centre,  and  who  are  thus  pro- 
i tected  by  the  others. 

j All  kinds  of  animals,  both  large  and 
jl  small,  are  afraid  of  drivers  ; nor  have  they 
jj  any  regard  to  size  in  the  objects  of  their 
j|  warfare.  They  are  very  useful  in  chasing 
jl  away  or  killing  snakes,  lizards,  scorpions, 
j centipedes,  &c.,  which,  were  it  not  for  the 
j|  drivers,  would  be  exceedingly  troublesome, 
II  and  even  dangerous.  Whenever  they  visit 
i a house,  they  search  it  all  over,  and  expel 
It  every  living,  moving  thing,  that  they  find  : 
j after  which,  they  retire  peaceably,  and 
1 1 yield  possession  to  the  former  occupants, 
j They  make  their  nests  beneath  the  sur- 
I face  of  the  ground  ; and  I presume  they 
i|  sally  forth  from  their  quarters  only  in 
j search  of  food  ; at  which  times  the  line  of 
j march  is  sometimes  a hundred  yards,  or 
j more,  in  length. 

The  principal  domesticated  animals  in  Li- 
beria, are  Bullocks  or  Beeves,  Cows. 


SKETCHES  OF  LIBERIA. 


27 


Beeves — Cows — Sheep  —Goats— Horses,  &c. — Diseases. 


Sheep,  Goats,  Swine,  Geese,  Turkeys, 
Ducks,  and  Chickens. 

Beeves  are  frequently  brought  into  the 
settlements  for  sale  by  the  natives,  and 
they  are  sometimes  raised  by  the  citizens. 
They  may  be  raised  easily  in  any  desira- 
ble quantity. 

Cows  are  numerous,  but  they  do  not 
give  much  milk.  Some  of  the  cows  which 
are  brought  from  the  interior,  one  or  two 
hundred  miles  from  the  coast,  are  as  large 
as  ordinary  cows  in  the  United  States  ; 
but  they  do  not  give  half  so  much  milk.  If 
properly  attended  to,  however,  I think  they 
would  afford  milk  much  more  plenti- 
fully. 

Sheep  and  Goats  can  be  very  easily  raised 
in  Liberia — as  easily,  perhaps,  as  in  any 
other  part  of  the  world  ; and  they  both  af- 
ford good  wholesome  animal  food.  The 
sheep  are  covered  with  hair  instead  of 
wool.  The  goats  furnish  very  good 
milk. 

Swine  do  not  thrive  so  well  in  Liberia 
as  in  some  parts  of  the  United  States  ; but 
they  can  be  raised  in  sufficient  abundance 
for  the  wants  of  the  people. 

Geese  and  Ducks  may  be  raised  without 
any  more  difficulty  than  in  the  United 
States ; and  within  a few  years  past, 


li 


Turkeys  have  become  much  more  plentiful 
than  they  formerly  were. 

Perhaps  in  no  other  part  of  the  world 
can  Chickens  be  raised  more  easily  and 
more  plentifully,  than  in  Liberia.  With 
very  little  trouble,  every  family  may  al- 
ways have  a sufficient  supply  of  chickens. 

Horses  are  plentiful  in  the  interior,  with- 
in three  hundred  miles  of  the  coast,  but 
they  do  not  thrive  well  in  the  settlements  : 
perhaps  in  consequence  principally  of  the 
Want  of  proper  management.  They  are 
occasionally  brought  down  by  the  natives, 
and  some  of  them  are  very  beautiful. — 
They  are  small — seldom  more  than  twelve 
hands  high.  I am  quite  satisfied  that  they 
never  can  be  used  to  much  advantage,  as 
draft  animals,  in  the  present  settlements  of 
Liberia.  But  for  all  necessary  purposes, 
the  native  oxen  can  be  used  as  a substitute 
for  horses.  I have  seen  some  of  the  small 
bullocks  broken  to  the  yoke,  and  working 
steadily  and  effectually.  The  Liberians, 
however,  have  not  yet  given  much  atten- 
tion to  the  breaking  and  working  of  oxen 
— by  no  means  as  much  as  they  ought  to 
give.  1 trust  that  the  time  may  not  be 
distant,  when  the  plough  and  the  cart  will 
be  much  more  extensively  used,  than  at 
present. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

DISEASES. 


The  physical  system  of  every  in- 
dividual who  removes  from  a tempe-  j 
rate  to  a tropical  climate  must  undergo 
some  change — must  experience  some  pro-  1 
cess  of  acclimation,  which  may  or  may  j 
not  be  attended  with  much  fever,  accord-  j 
ing  to  circumstances — to  the  constitutional  !j 
peculiarities  of  the  individual,  the  nature  jj 
of  the  surrounding  country,  the  previous  I 
habits  of  life,  the  situation  at  the  time  | 
with  respect  to  regimen,  comforts,  &c.;  j 
and  by  no  means  the  least,  the  state  of  the  j 


mind  with  respect  to  calmness  and  patience, 
or  irritability  and  disquietude,  together 
with  other  imaginable  circumstances  ; so 
that  the  developments  of  fever  are  gener- 
ally various,  requiring  various  methods 
of  treatment — each  method  to  be  adapted 
to  the  individual  case,  as  circumstances 
may  require.  Hence,  the  impossibility  of 
furnishing  an  exact  or  complete  treatise  on 
the  subject — of  setting  down  any  charac- 
teristic marks  of  the  Acclimating  Fever , or  of 
adopting  any  particular  mode  of  treatment. 


28 


SKETCHES  OF  LIBERIA. 


Character  of  the  acclimating  fever. 


Some  persons,  in  passing  through  the 
physical  change,  or  process  of  acclima- 
tion, have  so  little  fever  that  they  do 
not  require  medical  treatment  at  all.  And 
I have  no  douht  that  many  persons  might 
pass  safely  through  the  acclimating  pro- 
cess without  taking  a grain  of  medicine, 
if  they  could  or  would  exercise  the  neces- 
sary precautions  in  the  preservation  of 
health — such  as  proper  attention  to  their 
habits,  diet  and  clothing,  to  the  extent  of 
exposure  to  the  heat  of  the  day,  as  well 
as  to  the  damp  and  chilling  night-air,  and 
especially  to  the  avoidance  of  all  sources 
of  mental  inquietude. 

In  some  cases  the  physical  system  be- 
comes sufficiently  adapted  to  the  climate  to 
resist  the  surrounding  deleterious  influ- 
ences, in  two  or  three  months.  In  other 
cases,  a year  or  more  elapses  before  this 
desirable  point  is  reached.  And  in  some 
cases,  the  physical  system  and  the  climate 
seem  to  be  at  variance  for  several  years. 

In  the  course  of  my  observations  in  the 


treatment  of  the  acclimating  fever,  I fre- 
quently noticed  that  persons  who  had  pre- 
viously suffered  from  local  inflammatory 
affections  were  extremely  liable  to  have  a 
recurrence  of  some  or  all  of  the  symptoms 
of  the  old  disorder,  in  consequence  of  the 
previously  inflamed  organ  or  tissue  being 
the  “weak  point”  in  the  system.  And 
in  some  cases,  persons  who  might  have 
enjoyed  tolerable  health  in  the  United  ! 
States  die  very  soon  after  their  arrival  in  i 
Liberia,  in  consequence  of  the  physical  1 
system  not  being  sufficiently  vigorous  to 
undergo  the  necessary  change,  in  order  to 
become  adapted  to  the  climate.  Hence 
the  impropriety  of  persons  emigrating  to  j 


Liberia  whose  constitutions  have  become  ; 


much  impaired  by  previous  disease,  by 
intemperance,  or  otherwise.  And  hence 
the  necessity  of  Missionary  Societies  be- 
ing careful  in  regard  to  the  physical  as 
well  as  to  the  moral  qualifications  of  those 


[ persons  who  offer  themselves  as  missiona- 
! lies  to  Africa. 

I The  majority  of  persons  from  the  United 
; States  who  take  up  their  residence  in  Li- 
j beria  have  some  development  of  fever,  in 
some  form  or  other,  within  the  first  two 
I months  after  their  arrival.  The  most  com- 
i mon  form,  perhaps,  is  that  which  medical 
i writers  generally  call  “ Bilious  Remittent 
' Fever,”  which  is  usually  simple  in  its 
j character,  and  which  generally  yields 
| readily,  in  a few  days,  to  simple,  mild, 

! appropriate  treatment.  The  first  attack, 

| however,  is  generally  followed,  within  a 
! few  days  or  weeks,  by  a second  similar, 

| or  nearly  similar,  attack,  or,  which  is  more 
! common,  by  one  or  other  of  the  varieties 
of  the  intermittent  form  of  fever  ; and  to 
this  latter  kind  of  fever  the  individual  is 
; more  or  less  subject  until  his  system  shall 
have  become  sufficiently  adapted  to  the 
j climate  and  to  the  local  influences  of  the 
i country  to  resist  their  peculiar  effects.  Not 
un frequently  the  first  attack,  as  well  as  the 
j subsequent  ones,  assumes  the  intermittent 

I form  ; in  most  cases,  however,  attended 

i 

l with  considerable  biliary  derangement. — 
The  fever  seldom  assumes  a strictly  con- 
tinued form,  is  seldom  inflammatory,  and 
it  seldom  terminates  in  permanent  conges- 
tion of  any  internal  organ.  The  conges- 
tive and  inflammatory  forms  are  perhaps 
never  exhibited,  except  in  cases  in  which 
there  is  some  striking  constitutional  pecu- 
liarity. Bilious  vomiting  frequently  oc- 
curs, in  both  the  remittent  and  intermit- 
tent forms  ; and  sometimes  gastric  irrita- 
bility prevails  to  a considerable  extent,  and 
renders  the  proper  management  of  the 
case  rather  difficult.  In  all  cases,  the 
tongue  is  considerably  furred,  and  in  many 
cases,  headache,  more  or  less  violent,  con- 
tinues during  ihe  continuance  of  the  fever. 
Temporary  delirium  is  sometimes  present, 
during  high  febrile  excitement  ; but  it 
usually  subsides  with  the  remission  or  in- 
termission of  the  fever. 


Treatment  of  the  acclimating  fever. 


In  reference  to  the  most  successful  mode 
of  treatment,  it  is  impossible  to  furnish  any 
statement  that  will  be  sufficiently  intelli- 
gible and  comprehensive  to  justify  the  ap- 
plication of  remedial  medicinal  means, 
without  the  judicious  exercise  of  an  en- 
lightened judgment.  I may,  however, 
point  out  a few  land-marks,  and  a few 
rocks  and  shoals,  by  which  the  untutored 
medical  mariner  may  be  able  to  steer  his 
course  with  more  safety  than  if  he  were 
entirely  destitute  of  such  information. — 
And  first,  I would  remark  that  there  are 
two  points  of  essential  importance,  which 
cannot  be  too  strongly  impressed  on  the 
consideration  of  all  persons  who  expect 
to  reside  in  Liberia  : The  first  is,  the  great 
advantage  of  mental  as  well  as  physical 
quietude,  and  patient  resignation  ; which 
necessarily  imply  the  avoidance,  as  much 
as  possible,  of  both  mental  and  physical 
irritability,  of  despondency  or  gloomy 
forebodings,  and  of  distrust  in  Divine 
Providence.  Whoever  goes  to  Africa, 
ought  to  go  with  the  expectation  of  living; 
and  if  he  should  get  sick,  he  ought  to  try  to 
get  well  again — to  avoid  all  excitement,  and 
to  endeavor  to  be  cheerful  and  contented. 
The  greatest  difficulty  with  which  I gene- 
rally had  to  contend,  in  the  treatment  of 
the  acclimating  fever,  was  to  prevent  mental 
depression  or  despondency  in  my  patients. 
And  I have  invariably  found,  in  cases  in 
which  patients  obstinately  and  pertina- 
ciously yielded  to  despondency,  and  aban- 
doned all  hope  of  getting  well,  that  sooner 
or  later  their  expectations  were  realized, 
and  death  closed  the  scene.  The  other 
point  to  which  I would  direct  particular 
attention  is,  the  danger  of  using  medicinal 
agents  too  freely— of  relying  too  much  on 
the  curative  virtues  of  medicines,  and  not 
giving  due  attention  to  auxiliary  means  ; 
which  indeed  are  often  of  much  more  im- 
portance than  all  the  pills  and  powders  of 
the  doctor  or  the  druggist.  I am  quite 


| satisfied  that  the  lives  of  many  persons 
i have  been  sacrificed  in  Liberia  by  the 
too  free  or  injudicious  use  of  medicines, 
especially  calomel  and  drastic  cathartics, 
In  reference  to  the  use  of  calomel,  I may 
state,  that  although  I generally  found  the 
i necessity  for  its  use  in  the  majority  of 
cases  of  the  acclimating  fever  wrhich  came 
1 under  my  treatment,  yet  I used  it  much 
f more  cautiously  and  sparingly  than  it  is 
generally  used  by  medical  practitioners  in 
the  United  States.  I never  gave  more 
!j  than  eight  grains  at  a time,  and  seldom 
! gave  more  than  fifteen  grains  during  one 
attack  of  sickness.  Whenever  I found 
' the  necessity  for  its  administration,  in  any 
! case,  I sometimes  gave  it  in  about  two 
| grain  doses,  at  intervals  of  about  two 
j hours,  usually  in  combination  with  some 
diaphoretic  or  sweating  medicine,  especial- 
ly James’  powder.  After  threer  or  fourof 
1 these  doses  had  been  taken,  1 usually  di- 
| rected  a moderate  dose  of  castor  oil  to  be 
taken,  within  ten  or  twelve  hours  after  the 
| first  dose.  In  the  beginning  of  an  attack 
I of  fever,  especially  in  those  cases  in  which 
i the  tongue  was  much  coated,  and  the  pa- 
I tient  complained  of  nausea,  without  free 
vomiting,  I frequently  gave  a dose  of  cal- 
omel and  ipecacuanha,  in  the  proportion 
; of  six  or  eight  grains  of  the  former  to 
! about  twenty  of  the  latter.  This  dose 
I usually  produced  sufficient  action  on  the 
! bowels,  as  well  as  vomiting.  If  it  failed 
j to  move  the  bowels,  I always  directed 
: some  mild  laxative  afterwards — generally 
{ castor  oil  or  rhubarb.  In  some  cases  l 
had  no  occasion  to  give  any  other  medi- 
cine, during  the  attack,  than  the  dose  of 
calomel  and  ipecac  ; except  generally,  in 
j the  intermittent  form,  quinine  to  break  up 
j the  periodicity  of  the  attack.  I never  gave 
calomel  with  the  intention  of  producing 
salivation  ; — this  result  I always  endeavor- 
ed to  guard  against ; and,  of  the  hundreds 
of  cases  which  I treated,  very  few  ever 


30 


SKETCHES  OF  LIBERIA. 


Medicines  used  in  treating  the  acclimating  fever. 


complained  of  the  slightest  soreness  of  the  | j 
mouth.  In  the  few  cases,  in  which  sali-  jj 
vation  resulted  from  the  administration  of  Ij 
calomel,  in  consequence  of  a strong  con-  jj 
stitutional  tendency  in  the  patients,  I al-  j; 
ways  observed  that  convalescence  was 
more  tedious — the  patient  requiring  a long- 
er time  to  regain  his  health  and  strength. 

My  favorite  diaphoretics  were,  James’ 
powder  and  sweet  spirits  of  nitre  ; both  of 
which  I used  frequently  and  freely.  I 
generally  found  the  latter  of  these  two 
medicines  very  beneficial  in  producing 
perspiration,  when  given  during  the  febrile  j 
excitement,  in  the  dose  of  about  a teaspoon-  j 
ful,  at  intervals  of  an  hour  or  two.  I ; 
sometimes  found  it  necessary  to  be  more  jj 
cautious  in  the  administration  of  the  for-  ji 
mer,  especially  in  cases  in  which  much  jl 
tendency  to  gastric  irritability  existed.  I jl 
seldom  used  nitrate  of  potash  (a  favorite  Jj 
diaphoretic  with  some  physicians  in  this  jj 
country,)  in  consequence  of  the  tendency,  j 
in  many  cases,  to  irritability  of  the  sto-  jj 
mach. 

In  reference  to  the  use  of  opiates,  I may  j 
s ate,  that,  although  I frequently  found  ! 
them  highly  beneficial,  under  circumstan-  j 
ces  which  peculiarly  indicated  the  neces-  jj 
sity  of  their  being  administered  ; yet,  I jj 
always  endeavored  to  avoid  the  use  of 
them  as  much  as  possible,  in  consequence 
especially  of  their  general  astringent  and 
constipating  effects.  Whenever  the  case 
seemed  to  demand  the  use  of  any  opiate,  jj 
and  the  bowels  were  not  constipated,  es-  jj 
pecially  if  they  were  looser  than  desirable,  j| 

1 generally  gave  free  doses — seldom  less  Jj 
than  fifty  drops  of  laudanum,  or  one-fourth  jj 
of  a grain  of  morphine.  In  some  cases,  in  J 
which  the  general  system  was  in  a highly  j 
irritable  condition — quick  and  feeble  pulse,  j 
dry  skin,  and  sometimes  violent  headache,  I 
and  sleeplessness,  with  or  without  delirium , 

I sometimes  gave  about  one-third  of  a 
grain  of  morphine,  in  combination  with  j 


five  or  six  grains  of  James’  powder,  at 
night ; and  generally  the  patient  was  de- 
cidedly better  on  the  following  morning  ; 
after  having  enjoyed  refreshing  sleep  du- 
ring the  night.  A teaspoonful  of  paregoric, 
under  similar  circumstances,  sometimes 
also  produces  very  beneficial  effects.  But 
the  judicious  administration  of  opiate  med- 
icines, requires  the  exercise  of  more  skill 
and  judgment,  than  most  persons  possess, 
who  have  not  given  particular  attention  to 
the  study  of  the  animal  economy,  and  the 
effects  of  medicinal  agents. 

I would  strongly  discourage  the  use  of 
Epsom  salts,  as  a cathartic  : the  only  way 
in  which  it  ought  to  be  given,  (if  at  all,)  is 
in  broken  doses — not  more  than  a tea- 
spoonful at  a time  : in  some  cases  of  erup- 
tive diseases,  it  may  be  beneficially  used 
in  this  way  ; but  it  should  never  be  given 
in  active  purgative  doses.  This  remark  is 
applicable  to  all  other  hydrogogue  and 
drastic  cathartic  medicines.  A favorite 
combination  with  me  was  three  grains  of 
calomel,  one-sixth  of  a grain  of  tartar 
emetic,  and  six  grains  of  compound  ex- 
tract of  colocynth,  made  into  two  pills  ; 
I sometimes  added  one  grain  of  gamboge  ; 
but  1 generally  found  the  pills  sufficiently 
active  without  the  gamboge,  if  the  medi- 
cines were  good.  This  dose  I used  fre- 
quently to  give,  as  an  anti-bilious  cathar- 
tic, and  as  a preparative  for  the  adminis- 
tration of  quinine,  during  an  attack  of  in- 
termittent fever.  I have  several  times 
taken  this  combination  myself,  and  always 
with  decided  benefit.  As  a mild,  certain, 
and  safe  laxative,  in  cases  in  which  the 
principal  object  was  to  produce  action  of 
the  bowels,  I never  found  anything  to 
answer  so  well  as  castor  oil.  Rhubarb, 
either  alone  or  in  combination  with  cal- 
cined magnesia,  will  sometimes  answer 
very  well. 

1 frequently  found  great  advantage  from 
the  application  of  blistering  plasters  ; es- 


SKETCHES  OF  LIBERIA 


31 


Leeches— Quinine— how  administered— Stimulants. 


pecially  to  the  pit  of  the  stomach,  in  cases 
attended  with  much  irritability  of  that  or- 
gan. I generally  found  that  the  vomiting 
ceased  as  soon  as  the  plaster  began  to  pro- 
duce its  peculiar  effects.  I sometimes  al- 
so applied  a blister  plaster  to  the  back  of 
the  neck,  in  violent  headache,  with  deci- 
ded advantage.  In  cases  attended  with 
marked  inflammatory  action  in  the  stomach 
— great  tenderness  to  pressure,  irritability, 
and  other  prominent  symptoms,  I some- 
times resorted  to  local  depletion,  by  cup- 
ping ; and  I sometimes  applied  cups  to 
the  temples,  to  relieve  the  head.  I,  how- 
ever, more  frequently  resorted  to  the  free 
application  of  leeches  in  such  cases.  These 
little  animals  are  very  plentiful  in  Liberia, 
and  they  can  be  easily  procured,  at  any 
time.  They  are  about  one-third  the  size  ! 
of  the  ordinary  foreign  leeches,  which  are 
used  in  the  United  States,  and  they  draw 
much  less  blood.  I have  had  nearly  a hun- 
dred of  them  applied  to  myself  at  one 
time. 

In  the  intermittent  form  of  fever,  qui- 
nine is  the  remedium  magnum.  I seldom 
failed  to  break  up  the  attack,  in  a few  days, 
by  the  judicious  use  of  this  medicine  ; 
which,  perhaps,  approaches  more  nearly 
to  a specific  than  any  other  medicinal  ar- 
ticle. Although  I had  frequent  attacks  of  i 
intermittent  fever  during  my  residence  in 
Liberia  ; yet  I never  had  more  than  three 
/ paroxysms,  during  any  one  attack  ; and  I | 
was  generally  able  to  prevent  the  third  j 
by  the  use  of  this  valuable  remedy.  My  j 
usual  mode  of  taking  or  administering  it  j 
was  in  doses  of  about  two  grains,  at  in- 
tervals of  two  hours,  commencing  about 
eight  hours  before  the  time  of  the  expected 
chill  or  ague  ; whenever  circumstances  j 
would  admit  of  its  administration  in  this  j 
way.  Sometimes  I gave  it  at  intervals  of  j 
one  hour,  commencing  four  or  five  hours  i 
before  the  time  of  the  expected  paroxysm.  i 
1 generally  found  eight  or  ten  grains  to  be  j 


j sufficient.  In  cases  in  which  the  chill  or 
ague  came  on  early  in  the  forenoon — say 
7 or  8 o’clock — l generally  gave  a single 
dose  of  about  five  grains,  within  an  hour 
of  the  time  at  which  the  paroxysm  was 
expected.  In  most  cases,  I believe  one 
such  dose  would  prevent  an  ague,  if  taken 
within  an  hour  of  the  expected  attack. — 
But,  in  consequence  of  more  or  less  irreg- 
ularity respecting  the  time  at  which  a 
paroxysm  might  be  expected,  I generally 
found  it  necessary  to  commence  the  use  of 
the  quinine  several  hours  previous  to  the 
time  at  which  the  preceding  paroxysm 
made  its  appearance.  It  is  best  to  con- 
tinue the  use  of  quinine  two  or  three  days 
after  the  the  chill  or  ague  has  been 
stopped,  in  two  grain  doses  taken  several 
times  during  the  day. 

I have  but  little  confidence  in  the  habit- 
ual use  of  wine,  brandy,  porter,  ale,  or  any 
thing  else  of  the  kind,  either  as  preven- 
lives  of  fever,  or  as  tonics  during  conva- 
lescence, after  an  attack.  The  climate  it- 
self is  too  exciting  and  stimulating  to  the 
systems  of  new-comers,  generally  ; and 
consequently  I always  found  it  better  to 
avoid  the  use  of  stimulating  beverages, 
except  in  cases  of  great  physical  prostra- 
tion by  disease,  in  which  some  stimulating 
draught  was  imperatively  demanded. — 
During  the  first  six  months  of  my  resi- 
dence in  Liberia,  I always  found  the  use 
! of  wine  injurious,  at  any  time,  in  my  own 
j case.  And  I am  decidedly  of  opinion, 

| that  cold  water  is  the  best  beverage,  in 
S Liberia  as  well  as  in  the  United  States. — 
The  moderate  use  of  wine  or  porter,  or  even 
brandy,  may  sometimes  be  advantageous, 
in  those  cases  in  which  the  system  has 
become  greatly  enfeebled,  by  frequent  at- 
| tacks  of  fever,  and  by  the  protracted  en- 
ervating influences  of  the  climate  ; but  in 
the  majority  of  cases,  I think  the  use  of 
such  beverages  ought  to  be  entirely  dis- 
pensed with. 


n 


SKETCHES  OF  LIBERIA. 


Diseases  continued— Dysentery— Diarrhea— Rheumatism— Dropsy. 


1 frequently  found  the  use  of  various 
domestic  remedies  highly  beneficial  in  the 
treatment  of  fevers  in  Liberia,  particularly 
herb-teas,  and  the  pepper  cataplasm.  The 
latter  is  almost  universally  used,  instead  of 
mustard  ; in  consequence  of  pepper  being 
more  convenient,  as  well  as  more  active  in 
its  effects.  The  pepper  pods,  whether  green 
or  red,  are  cut  into  small  pieces,  and  mixed 
with  corn  or  rice  meal,  or  wheat-flour,  and 
water,  and  made  into  a poultice  or  plaster, 
in  the  same  manner  as  mustard  plasters  are 
usually  made.  The  burning  effects  of  this 
poultice  will  be  experienced  in  a few  min- 
utes. I have  frequently  found  it  to  be  very 


beneficial  in  relieving  nausea  or  vomiting, 
and  also  colic  pains,  when  applied  over  the 
stomach  or  abdomen.  It  is  also  a powerful 
revulsive  agent,  when  applied  to  the  ankles, 
wrists,  bottom  of  the  feet,  or  calves  of  the 
legs  ; and  it  is  peculiarly  beneficial  in  some 
cases,  in  which  the  use  of  such  an  agent  js> 
indicated.  The  infusion  of  an  herb  called 
“ fever  tea,”  is  generally  very  beneficial, 
as  a diaphoretic,  when  taken  warm,  and  as 
an  agreeable  beverage  when  taken  cold, 
instead  of  water.  Various  other  vegetable 
substances,  which  abound  in  Liberia,  may 
be  advantageously  used,  in  making  inno- 
cent and  useful  medicinal  infusions. 


CHAPTER  VII. 
Disease  s — continued . 


In  addition  to  the  ordinary  remittent  and 
intermittent  fevers,  to  which  I have  partic- 
ularly alluded,  I occasionally  met  with  cases 
bearing  some  resemblance  to  other  kinds 
of  fever,  that  are  usually  described  in 
medical  books  ; but  they  were  generally 
not  sufficiently  marked  to  justify  the  dis- 
tinctive appellations  of  nosological  arrange- 
ment. I never  saw  a well-marked  case  of 
yellow  fever  in  Liberia;  although  this 
disease  is  sometimes  experienced  at  Sierra 
Leone,  especially  among  European  resi- 
dents. Acute  inflammatory  diseases  are 
not  common  in  Liberia.  I seldom  met 
with  distinctly  marked  cases  of  pleurisy, 
or  of  any  other  violent  or  active  inflam- 
matory disease.  It  is  very  fortunate  that 
such  affections  are  not  common  ; for  they 
are  generally  almost  necessarily  fatal  in 
their  termination. 

Dysentery  and  diarrhoea  are  by  no  means 
so  common,  as  might  be  supposed.  I 
seldom  met  with  very  obstinate  cases  of 
either  of  these  diseases.  Slight  attacks  of 
diarrhoea  are  occasionally  brought  on  by  the 
intemperate  use  of  some  kinds  of  fruits  ; 
and  occasionally,  in  new-comers,  by  the 


i too  free  use  of  some  kinds  of  animal  food, 

; particularly  fresh  pork,  beef,  or  fish.  I 
met  -with  a few  cases  of  chronic  dysentery  : 
and  I experienced  two  or  three  attacks  mv- 
! self.  Rheumatism  , both  acute  and  chronic, 
jj  occasionally  occurs,  never  very  violent, 

| however,  in  either  form.  Dropsical  affec- 
! tions  are  rather  frequent ; especially  local 
I anasarca,  or  dropsy  of  the  cellular  mem- 
brane beneath  the  skin — a consequence  of 
j general  debility,  produced  by  frequent  a(- 
! tacks  of  fever,  inattention  to  diet  and  cloth- 
j ing,  and  undue  exposure.  It  is  not  uncom- 
mon for  the  feet  and  legs  of  persons  to  swell 
; more  or  less,  during  the  acclimating  pro- 
| cess  ; especially  white  persons  and  bright 
ji  mulattoes.  This  swelling  generally  grad- 
ually subsides,  as  the  system  becomes  bel- 
li ter  adapted  to  the  climate.  Ascites,  or 
! dropsy  of  the  abdomen,  sometimes  occurs, 
j as  a consequence  of  chronic  affections  of  the 
!|  liver  or  spleen,  especially  enlargement  of 
I one  or  both  of  these  organs,  after  a long 
| residence  in  the  country.  Such  cases, 
i however,  are  not  so  common  as  might  be 
j supposed.  I never  met  with  more  than  a 
dozen  cases,  during  my  residence  in  Line- 


SKETCHES  OF  LIBERIA. 


33 


Cutaneous  affections — Leprosy — Ulcers. 


ria.  No  course  of  treatment  which  I ever 
pursued,  in  such  cases,  seemed  to  produce  i 
any  decidedly  beneficial  effects. 

Cutaneous  affections  are  quite  common; 
some  of  which  are  peculiar  to  the  country 
or  climate.  Among  the  common  eruptive  |j 
diseases,  measles  and  erysipelas  are  most 
frequently  observed.  The  former  of  these  jj 
diseases  prevailed  very  extensively  through-  h 
out  Liberia,  in  the  early  part  of  1845  ; but 
it  was  generally  milder  than  it  usually  is  in  [J 
the  United  States.  The  latter  generally  |j 
appears  in  a mild  form,  with  very  little  or 
no  febrile  action  in  the  system.  In  the  j 
early  part  of  1848,  small-pox  prevailed  ! 
pretty  extensively  in  one  of  the  settle-  j 
ments  ; but,  in  nearly  every  case,  it  was  { 
in  the  modified  form,  called  varioloid,  j1 
This  form  of  small-pox  has  several  times  j 
prevailed,  epidemically,  in  one  or  other  j 
of  the  settlements  ; but  it  seldom  proved 
fatal.  I never  saw  but  one  case  of  genuine  I 
variola  in  Liberia  ; although,  in  some 
cases,  the  small-pox  contagion  results  in 
the  exhibition  of  this  form  of  the  disease, 
during  the  epidemical  prevalence  of  vario- 
loid. 


A peculiar  endemical  pustulous  affection, 


called  “ craw-craw,” or  “kru-kru,”  some- 
times attacks  persons  who  are  not  very 
careful  in  regard  to  cleanliness.  It  is  a very 
common  disease  among  the  natives,  and 
it  is  generally  regarded  as  being  contagious. 
It  is  sometimes  very  painful  and  trouble- 
some. Another  disease  of  the  skin,  which 
is  common  among  the  natives,  and  which 
is  occasionally  observed  among  the  Libe- 
rians, is  the  “ yaws  which  consists  of 
elevated  excrescences, usually  appearing  in 
continuous  clusters,  and  discharging  a thin 
corrosive  ichor.  Sometimes  the  yaws  ap- 
pear on  the  soles  of  the  feet,  and  prevent 
the  patient  from  walking.  Both  these  dis- 
eases are  tedious  and  perplexing  to  both 
the  patient  and  the  doctor. 

Lepra,  or  leprosy,  is  occasionally  seen  in 

3 


; 


Liberia  ; especially  among  the  aborigines. 
This  distressing  disease  usually  appears 
in  brownish  blotches  scattered  over  the 
body  ; from  which  a corrosive  serous  fluid 
is  discharged.  The  toes  and  fingers  fre- 
quently become  ulcerated  ; and  sometimes 
the  unfortunate  invalid  loses  all  the  fingers 
on  one  hand  or  both,  or  all  the  toes  on  the 
feet ; and  the  soles  of  the  feet  are  sometimes 
marked  with  deep  fissures,  or  scooped  out 
into  ugly  sores.  The  blotches  on  different 
parts  of  the  body  sometimes  degenerate 
into  foul  and  fetid  ulcers  of  an  irregular 
jagged  appearance.  This  miserable  disease 
sometimes  continues  to  harass  the  individ- 
ual for  years  ; and  it  frequently  results  in 
death.  I have,  however,  frequently  seen 
native  persons  who  had  recovered,  with  the 
loss  of  a portion  of  their  hands  or  feet,  or 
of  both,  after  having  suffered  excruciatingly 
for  months  or  years.  I never  saw  but  one 
well-marked  case  among  the  Liberians, 
and  that  was  in  a very  old  man. 

The  most  common  and  troublesome  cu- 
taneous affections,  (if  they  may  be  so  class- 
ed,) that  occur  in  Liberia,  are  indolent 
ulcers  ; which  sometimes  appear  spontane- 
ously ; but  which  generally  result  from 
injuries,  by  which  the  skin  is  broken.  The 
texture  of  the  cutaneous  and  the  muscular 
fibre  seems  to  be  more  lax  in  tropical  than 
intemperate  climates  ; and  slight  scratches, 
or  abrasions  of  the  skin,  are  much  more 
liable  to  degenerate  into  ulcers  , — the  de- 
gree of  liability  depending  on  the  constitu- 
tional temperament  of  individuals,  their 
habits,  mode  of  living,  &c.  White  persons 
and  mulattoes  are  more  subject  to  ulcerous 
affections  as  well  as  to  most  other  diseases, 
than  black  persons  ; in  consequence,  I pre- 
sume, of  their  physical  systems  being  less 
adapted  to  the  peculiarities  of  the  climate  ; 
a fact  which  must  be  admitted  by  ah. 
These  ulcers,  though  not  generally  very 
painful,  are  exceedingly  annoying,  especi- 
ally when  they  occur  on  the  feet ; and  they 


34 


SKETCHES  OF  LIBERIA. 


Flatulent  colic — Intestinal  worms— Enlargement  of  Spleen,  &c. 


do  not  generally  heal  readily,  sometimes  [ 
continuing  for  several  months.  If  persons 
would  be  sufficiently  careful  to  avoid  inju- 
ries of  the  skin,  they  would  not  be  very 
liable  to  these  troublesome  affections. 


Chronic  nervous  diseases  are  not  very  i 
common  in  Liberia.  I occasionally  met 
with  hysteria  in  females  ; and  I saw  one 
or  two  cases  of  epilepsy,  and  one  case  of 
tetanus,  or  locked-jaw.  Convulsive  affec- 
tions are  very  rarely  met  with , in  either  in- 
fants or  adults.  Paralytic  affections  are 
occasionally,  though  seldom,  seen.  1 
never  saw  a distinctly  marked  case  of 
whooping-cough  in  Liberia  ; nor  did  I ever 
hear  of  its  having  prevailed  epidemically. 

Flatulent  colic  frequently  demands'  the 
attention  of  the  physician.  It  is  gene- 
rally  the  result  of  the  imprudent  use  of 
•some  indigestible  article  of  food  ; and  it 
occurs  more  frequently  in  persons  daring 
the  first  few  months  of  their  residence,  than 
in  old  settlers.  Sometimes  the  stomach 
and  bowels  become  greatly  distended  with 
gas  ; and  the  patient  suffers  very  violent 
pain  in  the  abdomen.  I had  several  attacks 
of  this  painful  affection,  during  the  first 
year  of  my  residence  in  Liberia  ; the  most 
violent  of  which  was  caused  by  the  eating 
of  a small  piece  of  cheese.  I was  generally 
able  to  relieve  the  patient,  afflicted  with  this 
disease,  by  the  administration  of  a large 
dose  of  laudanum,  folio-wed  by  a full  dose 
of  castor  oil  ; the  operation  of  which  was 
sometimes  assisted  by  an  active  injection  ; 
together  with  the  application  of  a large 
pepper  poultice  over  the  abdomen.  In 
some  cases,  especially  when  attended  with 
a tendency  to  diarrhoea,  I gave  nothing  but 


I 


the  laudanum  ; or,  what  sometimes  had  a 


among  children,  is  that  of  intestinal  tcorms. 
The  most  common  kind  of  worms  which 
infest  the  alimentary  canal,  is  the  ascares 
lumbricoides,  or  common  round  worm. 
All  the  other  varieties,  however,  are  some- 
times observed.  I have  seen  several  cases, 
in  which  the  individuals  voided  detached 
portions  of  the  tenia,  or  tape-worm.  In  pre- 
scribing for  patients  having  worms,  I de- 
pended more  on  the  free  use  of  spiritsof  tur- 
pentine, combined  with,  or  followed  by, 
castor  oil,  than  any  other  vermifuge,  in  all 
the  varieties.  Sometimes  I gave  a few 
grains  of  calomel,  followed  in  three  or  four 
hours  by  a free  dose  of  oil  and  turpentine. 

In  Liberia,  as  in  other  malarious  coun- 
tries or  districts,  cases  of  enlargement  of  the 
spleen — vulgarly  called  “fever- cake ’’-—are 
frequently  observed — the  result  of  repeated 
attacks  of  intermittent  fever.  This  is  much 
more  common  in  white  than  in  colored  resi- 
dents : very  few  white  persons,  indeed, 
are  able  to  live  five  years  in  Liberia,  with- 
out having  more  or  less  enlargement  of  the 
spleen.  It  is  more  frequently  met  with  in 
mulattoes  than  in  black  persons:  indeed,  1 
do  not  remember  a single  case  which  came 
under  my  observation,  in  a person  of  una- 
dulterated African  extraction  ; although  I 
have  no  doubt  that  such  persons  are  some- 
times thus  affected.  The  principal  diffi- 
culty that  usually  arises  from  this  affection, 
is,  that  it  predisposes  to  dropsical  affec- 
tions.. In  many  cases,  however,  dropsical 
effusions  do  not  follow  enlargement  of  the 
spleen;  except  occasional  swelling  of  the 
lower  extremities.  A protracted  sea-voy- 
age, or  a change  of  climate,  is  the  only 
means  with  which  I am  acquainted,  that 
will  effect  a reduction  of  this  burdensome 


better  effect,  a pill  composed  of  one-sixth 
or  one-fourth  of  a grain  of  morphine  and 
two  grains  of  camphor.  Persons  cannot  be 
too  careful  in  avoiding  the  use  of  such  ar- 
ticles of  food  as  are  not  easily  digestible. 

A very  common  affection,  especially 


appendage. 

Slight  catarrhal  affections,  (influenza,) 
are  occasionally  experienced  in  Liberia; 
especially  during  the  harmattan  season; 
but  these  generally  pass  off  in  a few  days, 
without  any  serious  injury.  I never  knew 


SKETCHES  OF  LIBERIA. 


35 


Catarrhal  affections,  &c. — “ Sleepy  Disease.” 


a case  to  result  in  active  inflammation  of 
any  part  of  the  respiratory  apparatus. 

Some  other  diseases  which  are  common 
to  most  countries,  may  be  occasionally 
observed  in  Liberia;  but  the  variety  is 
much  less  than  in  the  United  States;  and, 
except  in  some  old  chronic  affections,  in 
broken-down  constitutions,  convalescence 
is  generally  much  more  rapid,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  less  violence  of  the  attack. 
Among  the  many  attacks  of  fever  that  I 
experienced,  I never  was  obliged  to  re- 
main in  my  room  more  than  a week,  at  any 
one  time;  and  I very  seldom  w*as  confined 
to  my  bed  longer  than  twenty-four  hours 
at  a time.  The  danger  in  new-comers  gene- 
rally consists  more  in  the  frequency,  than 
in  the  violence,  of  the  attacks  of  sickness. 
And  the  majority  of  colored  immigrants, 
who  have  sufficient  prudence  to  use  such 
means  for  the  preservation  of  their  health 
in  Liberia,  as  an  enlightened  judgment 
would  dictate,  usually  enjoy  as  good  health, 
after  the  first  year  of  their  residence,  as 
they  formerly  enjoyed  in  theUnited  States. 
In  some  cases,  indeed,  the  state  of  the 
health  of  immigrants  is  decidedly  improved 
by  the  change  of  residence  from  America 
to  Africa.  The  large  majority  of  cases  of 
sickness  that  came  under  my  observation, 
among  those  persons  who  had  resided  a 
year  or  more  in  Liberia,  was  in  indolent, 
and  consequently  indigent  persons,  whose 
prudence  was  commensurate  with  their 
improvidence.  Indeed,  in  view  of  the 
heedlessness,  carelessness,  and  indolence 
of  some  persons,  who  were  scarcely  ever 
sick,  I was  astonished  at  their  continued 
•exemption  from  disease. 

I will  conclude  this  brief  medical  history 
of  Liberia  with  a short  notice  of  a peculiar 
endemic  affection,  which  may  be  termed 
Lethargus,  but  which  is  commonly  called 
the  “ Sleepy  Disease.”  I have  seen  eight 
or  ten  cases  of  this  somniferous  malady; 
five  or  six  of  which  were  among  persons 


who  had  emigrated  from  the  United  States. 
It  is,  however,  much  more  frequently  ex- 
hibited among  the  aborigines  than  among 
the  Liberians.  The  only  characteristic 


I 


mark  of  this  affection,  is  an  irresistible 
tendency  to  sleep — the  patient  frequently 
falling  asleep,  even  while  eating.  He  can 
generally  be  easily  aroused;  but  he  almost 
immediately  relapses  into  a state  of  pro- 
found slumber.  The  patient  scarcely  ever 
experiences  the  slightest  pain;  and  no  feb- 
rile symptoms  are  usually  exhibited,  until 
near  the  fatal  close  of  the  incurable  malady. 
The  appetite  is  usually  voracious,  and  the 
bowels  obstinately  constipated.  The  food 
taken  does  not  seem  to  nourish  the  system; 
in  consequence  of  the  disordered  state  of 
the  organs  of  digestion  and  nutrition;  the 
difficulty  existing  principally,  perhaps,  in 
the  mesenteric  glands.  Indeed,  the  whole 
glandular  system,  including  the  lymphatic 
and  the  lacteal  glands,  seems  to  be  in  a 
torpid  state,  in  this  affection.  No  peculiar 
marks  of  disease  are  usually  exhibited,  on 
examination  after  death.  In  all  cases  of 
which  I have  heard,  the  brain  especially 
appeared  to  be  in  a healthy  condition — at 
least,  that  organ  exhibited  no  perceptible 
evidence  of  disease;  and  no  other  part  of 
the  body  exhibited  any  peculiar  organical 
affection;  except  some  of  the  lymphatic 
glands,  which  presented  an  enlarged  and 
inflamed  appearance.  Those  about  the 
neck  generally  appear  considerably  swell- 
ed; and  the  natives  sometimes  extirpate 
| those  enlarged  glands,  under  the  impres- 
sion that  they  are  the  source  of  the  affec- 
tion; with  what  success  in  removing  the 
disease  may  be  readily  imagined  by  any 
intelligent  person,  in  whom  the  bump  of 
credulity  is  not  too  largely  developed. 

Among  the  various  causes  of  this  strange 
affection,  which  have  been  assigned,  per- 
haps no  particular  one  can  be  fully  relied 
on.  Indolent  habits,  unwholesome  and 
indigestible  vegetable  diet,  together  with 


36 


SKETCHES  OF  LIBERIA 


“ Conclusion.” 


some  peculiar  influence  of  the  climate, 
associated  with  the  prolonged  action  of 
miasmata  or  malaria,  operating  on  a sys- 
tem peculiarly  predisposed  to  lethargy, 
may  be  regarded  as  the  exciting  cause,  by 
which  functional  derangement  of  the  ner- 
vous system  is  produced,  resulting  in  a 
lost  balance  of  the  circulation,  and  a gene- 
ral functional  impairment  of  the  whole 
glandular  apparatus  of  the  body.  The 
disease  (if  disease  it  may  be  called)  al- 
ways approaches  gradually;  sometimes 
several  months  elapsing  before  it  is  fully 
developed.  And,  although  I have  had 
pretty  fair  opportunities  of  testing  the  vir- 
tues of  various  medicinal  agents,  in  differ- 
ent stages  of  the  disease;  yet  I never  was 
able  to  effect  more  than  a temporary  ces- 
sation of  it,  in  the  beginning,  or  a tem- 
porary mitigation  of  it,  after  its  full  de- 
velopment. 

The  most  graphic  notice  of  this  lazy  di- 
sease, with  which  1 have  met,  is  that  given 
in  the  “ Journal  of  an  African  Cruiser;” 
and,  as  I saw  the  patient  in  company  with 
the  author,  I will  subjoin  an  extract  from 
that  interesting  little  book:  “We  entered 

the  hut  without  ceremony,  and  looked 
about  us  for  old  Mamma’s  beautiful  grand- 
daughter. But,  on  beholding  the  object  of 
our  search,  a kind  of  remorse  or  dread 
came  over  us;  such  as  often  affects  those 
who  intrude  upon  the  awfulness  of  slum- 
ber. The  girl  lay  asleep  in  the  adjoining 
apartment,  on  a mat  that  was  spread  over 
the  hard  ground;  and  with  no  pillow  be- 
neath her  cheek.  She  slept  so  quietly,  and 
dnew  such  imperceptible  breath,  that  I 
scarcely  thought  her  alive.  With  some 


ii 


| 

ii 


I 


difficulty  she  was  aroused,  and  she  awoke 
with  a frightened  cry — a strange  and  bro- 
ken murmur,  as  if  she  were  looking  dimly 
out  of  her  sleep,  and  knew  not  whether 
our  figures  were  real,  or  only  the  phan- 
tasies of  a dream.  Her  eyes  were  wild 
and  glassy,  and  she  seemed  to  be  in  pain. 
While  awake,  there  was  a nervous  twitch- 
ing about  her  mouth  and  in  her  fingers; 
but,  being  again  extended  on  the  mat,  and 
left  to  herself,  these  symptoms  of  disquie- 
tude passed  away;  and  she  almost  imme- 
diately sank  again  into  the  deep  and 
heavy  sleep,  in  which  we  found  her.  This 
poor  girl  had  been  suffering — no,  not  suffer- 
ing, for,  except  when  forcibly  aroused, 
there  appears  to  be  no  uneasiness,  but  she 
had  been  lingering  two  months  in  a disease 
peculiar  to  Africa — commonly  called  the 
‘ sleepy  disease.’  Her  aspect  was  incon- 
ceivably affecting.  It  was  strange  to  be- 
hold her  so  quietly  involved  in  sleep;  from 
which  it  might  be  supposed  she  would 
awake  so  full  of  youthful  life — and  yet  to 
know  that  this  was  no  refreshing  slumber; 
but  a spell  in  which  she  was  fast  fading 
away  from  the  eyes  of  those  that  loved 
her.  Whatever  might  chance,  be  it  grief 
or  joy,  the  effect  would  be  the  same. 
Whoever  should  shake  her  by  the  arm — 
whether  the  accents  of  a friend  fell  feebly 
on  her  ear,  or  those  of  strangers,  like 
ourselves,  the  only  response  would  be 
that  troubled  cry,  as  of  a spirit  that  hover- 
ed on  the  confines  of  both  worlds,  and 
could  have  sympathy  with  neither.  The 
peal  of  the  last  trumpet  only  will  summon 
her  out  of  that  mysterious  sleep.” 


CONCLUSION. 


Had  1 not  been  apprehensive  that  I 
might  unnecessarily  swell  the  size  of  this 
little  work,  by  details  which  may  be  easily 
obtained  from  other  sources,  I might  have 


dwelt,  at  considerable  length,  on  the  con- 
sideration of  the  nature  of  the  civil  govern- 
ment, and  of  the  political  institutions  of 
Liberia. 


SKETCHES  OF  LIBERIA. 


• 37 

Civil  government,  &c. 


I might  also  have  made  particular  allu-  | 
sion  to  the  results  of  missionary  opera-  i 
lions  in  Liberia,  and  its  vicinity.  But  as  i 
tiiere  are  various  sources  whence  informa-  ! 
tion  may  be  derived  on  this  subject  ; and 
as  such  allusions  and  details  do  not  come 
within  the  scope  of  the  prescribed  design 
of  this  work,  it  being  intended  particularly 
for  the  information  of  those  persons  who 
may  be  in  search  of  truth,  with  the  view 
of  making  Liberia  the  place  of  their  future  | 
residence;  I do  not  deem  it  necessary  or 
proper  for  me  to  dwell  on  the  detail  of 
particulars,  relative  to  the  operations  of 
missionary  societies;  especially  as  I do 
not  regard  myself  as  altogether  competent 
to  present  full  and  faithful  statements  on 
this  subject;  and  as  I feel  disposed  to  write 
only  what  I do  know,  and  testify  what  I 
have  seen. 

In  reference  to  the  civil  government  of 
Liberia,  I may  here  simply  state,  that  it 
is  based  on  the  principles  of  republicanism; 
and,  in  every  essential  particular,  it  may 
be  regarded  as  a miniature  representation 
of  the  Government  of  the  United  States; 
the  only  particular  points  of  difference  be- 
ing in  the  name  of  the  national  assembly, 
which  is  styled  Legislature  instead  of  Con- 
gress; and  in  the  time  of  service  of  the 
principal  officers  of  the  Government.  The 
President  is  elected  by  the  popular  vote,  for  j 
two  years,  and  he  is  eligible  to  re-election. 
The  Senators,  of  whom  there  are  two  from  > 
each  county — six  in  all — are  elected  for 
four  years,  and  the  Representatives,  of  i 
whom  there  are  eight  in  all,  are  elected  for  | 
two  years.  The  only  cabinet  officers  who  ! 
have  yet  been  commissioned  are,  the  i 
Secretaries  of  Slate  and  of  the  Treasury,  j 
and  the  Attorney  General.  All  the  officers  j 
of  justice  are  appointed  by  the  President,  j 
with  the  consent  of  the  Senate.  The  ju-  I 
dicial  power  of  the  Republic  is  vested  in  a ! 
supreme  court,  a court  of  quarter  sessions  I 
an  each  county,  and  magistrate’s  courts,  j 


which  meet  monthly.  No  white  person  is 
allowed  to  become  a citizen;  consequently, 
white  residents  cannot  hold  any  office  in 
the  Government. 

The  Government  of  Liberia  is  now  al- 
together in  the  hands,  and  under  the  entire 
management  of  the  citizens  of  Liberia;  no 
white  person,  on  either  side  of  the  Atlantic, 
being,  in  any  way,  connected  with  its  ope- 
rations. And  if  the  disputed  question  has 
not  yet  been  fully  settled,  whether  colored 
persons  are  capable  of  self-government  or 
not,  a few  years  will  decide  the  point.  The 
people  of  Liberia  are  now  fairly  “self- 
poised;”  and  feeling  confident,  as  I do,  of 
the  clemency  and  forbearance  of  all  fo- 
reign nations  towards  this  infant  Repub- 
lic, so  long  as  the  Government  shall  be 
maintained  on  the  principles  of  national 
rectitude,  (without  which  no  government 
is  worthy  of  encouragement,)  I am  quite 
satisfied  that  if  the  Republic  of  Liberia 
shall  ingloriously  fall,  and  her  institutions 
be  demolished,  or  if  those  institutions 
shall  be  voluntarily  transferred  to  the  con- 
trol and  management  of  any  foreign  power, 
the  result  will  indubitably  exhibit  the  mel- 
ancholy fact,  that  the  maintenance  of  an  in- 
dependent government  by  the  colored  race 
is  at  least  a subject  of  doubtful  practica- 
bility. I confidently  hope,  however,  that 
the  “ lone  star”  of  the  Republic  of  Li- 
beria, which  is  now  culminating  over  a 
portion  of  the  western  coast  of  benighted 
Africa,  will  continue  to  shine,  not  like  the 
brilliant  meteor,  or  the  erratic  comet,  but 
like  the  effulgent  orb  of  day,  which  sheds 
his  enlivening  beams  with  increasing  splen- 
dor as  he  ascends  above  the  fleecy  clouds 
that  overhang  the  eastern  sky. 

In  addition  to  the  brief  reflections  which 
have  been  thrown  out  in  the  different  parts 
of  this  work,  I would  here  make  a few 
suggestions  which  may  be  worthy  the  par- 
ticular attention  of  those  persons  who  may 


38 


SKETCHES  OF  LIBERIA. 


Cultivation  of  the  Soil — the  chief  source  of  wealth  ami  independence. 


emigrate  to  Liberia.  The  reader  will,  no 
doubt,  be  fully  convinced,  if  he  believes 
the  statements  herein  exhibited,  of  the 
practicability  of  a comfortable  competency 
being  realized  in  Liberia,  as  the  reward  of 
industry  and  frugality.  And  the  intelli- 
gent man  of  color,  who  is  accustomed  to 
observation  and  reflection  cannot  but  be 
convinced  that  he  may  enjoy  the  privileges 
of  a freeman  in  the  full  import  of  the  term, 
of  which  he  is  virtually  deprived  in  every 
part  of  the  United  States,  by  the  conven- 
tional rules  of  society  among  the  domi- 
nant inheritors  of  a fairer  complexion. 
But  while  I do  not  hesitate,  in  view  of  the 
facts  set  forth  in  this  work,  to  recom- 
mend Liberia  as  an  inviting  field  for  enter- 
prise, and  a desirable  place  of  residence; 

I may  here  state  that,  during  my  residence 
there,  my  eyes  were  not  too  frequently 
dazzled  by  captivating  sights  of  agricul- 
tural industry,  and  of  mechanical  enter- 
prise, to  blind  me  to  the  conviction  that 
much  remains  to  be  done  before  the  little 
African  Republic  can  be  regarded  as  an 
earthly  paradise. 

In  reference  to  the  cultivation  of  the  soil, 
especially,  which  is  the  true  road  to  inde- 
pendence in  any  country,  I may  remark, 
that  comparatively  few  of  the  present  citi- 
zens of  Liberia  are  regularly  and  syste- 
matically engaged  in  this  branch  of  practi- 
cal industry.  Unfortunately  for  the  pros- 
perity of  Liberia,  many  of  the  earlier  set- 
tlers fancied  that  they  had  found  a more 
easy  and  more  speedy  highway  to  wealth, 
in  the  wholesale,  retail,  and  demoralizing 
system  of  barter  with  their  ignorant  ab-  i 
original  neighbors;  and  many  of  their  sue-  | 
cessors,  lured  on  by  this  apparently  ac- 
commodating  means  of  ease  and  comfort,  , 
started  their  little  crafts  in  the  wakes  of 
those  of  their  predecessors;  and  not  a few  J 
of  them,  in  their  eagerness  to  become  rich,  j 
have  failed  to  be  warned  by  the  disasters 
which  attended  many  of  those  who  pre- 


J ceded  them.  But  happily  for  Liberia, 
the  traffic  in  cam-wood  and  palm  oil  is  be- 
I coming  so  unprofitable,  in  consequence  of 
i excess  of  competition,  not  only  among  the 
| Liberians  themselves,  but  among  foreign 
traders,  that  it  must  soon  occupy  a station, 
as  a source  of  wealth,  inferior  to  that  of 
the  cultivation  of  the  soil:  the  siren  song 
of  commercial  experiment  must  give  place 
j to  the  cheerful  hum  of  agricultural  in- 
dustry. 1 trust  that  the  citizens  of  Li- 
j beria  are  generally  becoming  aroused  to  a 
j consciousness  of  this  important  truth,  and 
! indeed  during  the  last  few  years  more  at- 
j tention  has  been  given  to  agriculture  than 
j previously.  Yet  much  remains  to  be  ac- 
| complished,  to  demonstrate  to  distant  na- 
tions the  fact  that  Liberia  is  one  of  the  most 
productive  countries  in  the  world;  a fact, 
which  I believe  may,  and  I hope  will  be 
clearly  demonstrated  by  the  quantity  and 
quality  of  agricultural  products  that  may- 
be exported,  and  by  the  comfort  and  in- 
dependence of  a respectable  yeomanry. 

A more  regular , systematic  and  persever- 
I ing  course  of  farming  operations  must, 
j however,  be  introduced.  Greater  atten- 
I tion  ought  also  to  be  given  to  agricultural 
| experiments,  to  develope  the  resources  of 
the  soil;  and  to  ascertain  the  most  appro- 
priate periods  of  the  year  for  the  planting 
of  different  vegetable  substances.  Much 
I more  attention  should  also  be  given  to  the 
raising  of  different  kinds  of  stock;  and  to 
the  introduction  of  various  mechanical  in- 
ventions, in  carrying  on  agricultural  opera- 
tions. 

One  very  important  thing  which  has  re- 
ceived very  limited  attention  in  Liberia,  is 
that  of  fencing,  or  the  enclosing  of  lots  and 
fields;  by  the  neglect  of  which,  many  per- 
sons have  frequently  lost  the  principal  part 
of  the  fruits  of  their  labor,  in  the  tilling  of 
the  soil.  Undoubtedly,  the  best  fences 
that  can  be  made  in  Liberia  are  those  that 
are  commonly  called  “ growing  fences,”" 


SKETCHES  OF  LIBERIA. 


39 


Concluding  remarks. 


made  by  planting  certain  shrubs  closely 
together,  and  trimming  them  occasionally. 
Several  different  kinds  of  shrubs  may  be 
easily  and  abundantly  procured,  for  making 
these  fences.  And,  with  proper  attention, 
a piece  of  land  may,  in  two  or  three 
years,  be  thus  securely  and  substantially 
enclosed  with  a fence  that  will  last  many 
years. 

Hitherto,  the  people  of  Liberia  general- 
ly have  been  too  easily  intimidated  or  dis- 
couraged by  comparatively  small  obsta- 
cles; some  of  which  have  been  more  imag- 
inary than  real.  Difficulties,  however,  do 
realiy  exist;  but  these  difficulties  are  gene- 
rally far  less  than  those  which  exist  in 
carrying  on  farming  operations  in  any  part 
of  the  United  States.  And  I am  quite 
satisfied  that  every  thing  which  is  really 
necessary  for  human  subsistence  and  com- 
fort, together  with  many  luxuries,  can  be 
raised  in  Liberia,  with  much  less  labor 
than  would  be  required  to  procure  the 
necessaries  of  life  in  the  United  States. 

Let  the  cultivation  of  the  soil,  then,  re- 
ceive that  attention  which  it  should  receive, 
as  the  principal  means  of  wealth — let  a 
regular,  systematic,  and  persevering  course 
of  agricultural  operations  be  carried  on; 
and  the  citizens  of  Liberia  may  live  in  ease 
and  comfort  and  independence. 

In  tracing  the  various  events  connected 
with  the  rise  and  progress  of  the  Repub- 
lic of  Liberia,  no  unprejudiced  individual 
can  for  a moment  doubt  that  the  smiles  of 
Heaven  have  rested  upon  it;  and  that  the 
sheltering  wings  of  a kind  Providence 
iiave  been  spread  over  it  for  good — not  only 
to  the  immigrants  from  this  country,  but 
to  the  benighted  and  degraded  aborigines 
of  Africa — a land  which  has  so  long  been 
enveloped  in  the  darkness  of  heathenism. 
And,  in  view  of  the  social  and  political 
position  and  relations  of  colored  persons 
in  the  United  States,  contrasted  with  the 


position  and  relations  of  the  free  and  inde- 
pendent citizens  of  that  young  Republic, 
it  must  be  admitted  by  all  candid  persons, 
that  the  condition  of  those  people  iu  Li- 
beria who  are  disposed  to  use  the  necessary 
appliances  for  making  themselves  truly  in- 
dependent, is  vastly  superior  to  that  of  free 
people  of  color  in  any  part  of  this  country. 

Though  many  difficulties  have  been  en- 
countered in  the  progressive  exaltation  of 
the  infant  Colony  to  the  present  interest- 
ing and  flourishing  Republic,  and  though 
many  obstacles  will  necessarily  be  pre- 
sented to  its  onward  progress;  yet  it  is 
clearly  evident  that  the  experiment  has 
been  fairly  tried — the  experiment  of  estab- 
lishing on  the  coast  of  Africa  a community 
and  government  of  colored  immigrants 
from  this  country — and  has  been  crowned 
with  complete  success;  a success  even  be- 
yond the  most  sanguine  expectations  of  the 
benevolent  founders  of  the  Colonization 
Society;  who  amidst  difficulties  which 
seemed  almost  insurmountable,  determined 
to  try  what  could  be  done  towards  the  es- 
tablishment on  the  coast  of  Africa  of  an 
asylum  and  a home  for  the  people  of  color 
of  the  United  States;  who,  in  the  language 
of  a public  journalist,  “ are  here  restricted 
in  the  exercise  of  the  very  elementary 
principles  of  existence  best  calculated  to 
expand  and  exalt  the  heart  and  mind,” 
and  who,  in  every  part  of  this  country, 
must  continue  to  labor  under  political  and 
social  disadvantages;  from  which  they  can 
be  fully  rescued  in  no  other  way  than  by 
voluntarily  emigrating  to  a country  in 
which  the  restrictions  that  are  here  thrown 
around  them  cannot  operate — a country  in 
which  they  may  enjoy  the  benefits  of  free 
government,  with  all  the  blessings  of  civil 
and  religious  liberty. 

In  the  providence  of  God,  by  the  efforts 
of  those  who  have  been  “laborers  to- 
gether with  him,”  such  an  asylum  has 
been  established : difficulties  which  at  first 


40 


SKETCHES  OF  LIBERIA. 


Concluding  remarks. 


appeared  almost  insuperable  have  been 
overcome;  and  Liberia  now  presents  an 
inviting  field  for  commercial  enterprise  and 
agricultural  industry,  and  a desirable  home 
for  all  persons  of  color  who  wish  to  realize 
the  privileges  of  freedom  and  the  blessings 
of  independence. 

But  while  I would  heartily  recommend 
Liberia  as  a desirable  place  of  residence 
for  colored  persons  who  are  disposed  to 
appreciate  the  advantages  and  to  improve 
the  privileges  there  afforded,  I would  not 
advise  any  person  to  emigrate  thither,  who 
will  not  go  cheerfully,  and  with  a deter- 
mination to  try  to  overcome  every  obstacle 
that  may  be  presented.  1 am  decidedly  of 
opinion,  that,  with  a cheerful,  contented 
mind,  and  industrious  habits,  colored  per- 
sons may  live  more  easily,  more  comforta- 
bly, and  more  independently  than  they  can 
in  the  United  States.  In  Liberia,  how- 
ever, as  in  all  other  new  countries,  indus- 
try and  perseverance  are  necessary  ; and 
while  to  the  man  of  enterprise  and  frugali- 
ty it  affords  a desirable  home,  and  promi- 
ses a rich  reward  to  his  labors,  it  offers 
no  encouragement  to  those  who  expect  to 
live  in  luxurious  ease  and  pampered  in- 
dolence. 

In  conclusion,  I would  repeat,  that  I 
firmly  believe  that  the  hand  of  an  overrul- 
ing Providence  has  been  extended  over 
the  progressive  course  of  that  little  Repub- 
lic. And,  whatever  may  be  said  in  op- 
position to  the  wise  and  benevolent  scheme 
of  Colonization  ; and  however  apparently 
plausible  may  be  the  objections  of  persons 
who  are  unfriendly  to  the  cause ; it  is 
clearly  evident  to  any  individual  whose 
mind  is  unprejudiced,  especially  to  those 
who  have  had  opportunities  for  personal 
observation  and  investigation  as  to  the  re- 
sults of  that  enterprise,  that  it  is  one  of 
the  instruments  in  the  hands  of  the  Al- 
mighty Ruler  of  the  universe  for  carrying 


out  his  wise  designs  with  reference  to 
Africa.  And  in  view  of  what  has  already 
been  accomplished,  and  of  the  incalculable 
amount  of  good  which  may  yet  be  accom- 
plished, through  the  instrumentality  of  the 
Colonization  Society,  and  of  the  Republic 
of  Liberia  ; surely  no  true  friend  of  the 
colored  race  can  consistently  oppose  the 
operations  of  the  former,  or  withhold  the 
expression  or  exhibition  of  a sincere  de- 
sire for  the  continued  prosperity  of  the 
latter. 

Through  the  instrumentality  of  the 
Government  of  Liberia,  much  has  been 
done  towards  the  suppression  of  the  nefa- 
rious traffic  in  slaves.  Within  the  juris- 
diction of  that  miniature  Republic,  whence, 
a few  years  ago,  hundreds  and  thousands 
of  miserable  beings  were  transported,  like 
inanimate  objects  of  merchandize,  to  the 
western  world,  the  slave-trade  has  been 
entirely  abolished  ; and  many  of  the  con- 
tiguous native  tribes  have  laid  down  their 
weapons  of  warfare,  and  have  sought  the 
protection  of  that  Government.  And  I 
verily  believe  that  God  intends  that  the 
mental  illumination  of  the  degraded  ab‘ 
origines  of  Africa,  is  to  be  effected  chiefly 
by  her  own  returning  civilized  and  Chris- 
tian children — by  the  influence  and  exam- 
ple of  colored  immigrants  and  teachers 
from  this  side  of  the  Atlantic  ; carrying 
with  them  and  introducing  among  the  ig- 
norant natives,  habits  of  civilized  life,  and 
the  blessings  of  the  gospel  of  peace  and 
salvation  ; and  by  the  missionary  labors 
of  enlightened  and  converted  native  inhab- 
itants. Thus  shall  the  belligerent  hordes 
of  Afx-ica  be  induced  to  convert  their  in- 
struments of  warfare  into  agricultural  im- 
plements ; thus  shall  the  slave-trade  be 
effectually  and  forever  suppressed  ; and 
thus  shall  Ethiopia  be  taught  to  stretch 
out  her  hands  unto  God. 


APPENDIX 


Sketch  of  the  History  of  Liberia. 


On  the  21st  December,  1816,  a meeting  ! 
of  citizens  of  various  parts  of  the  United  j 
States  was  held  in  the  city  of  Washington,  ! 
“for  the  purpose  of  considering  the  ex-  ! 
pediency  and  practicability  of  ameliorating  j 
the  condition  of  the  free  people  of  color  in 
the  United  States,  by  providing  a colonial 
retreat,  either  on  this  continent,  or  that  of 
Africa.”  The  Hon.  Henry  Clay  was  I 
called  to  thechair,  and  Thos.  Dougherty, 
Esq.,  appointed  Secretary  of  the  meeting.  ! 
At  this  meeting,  it  was  “ Resolved , That 
an  association  or  society  be  formed  for 
the  purpose  of  collecting  information,  and 
to  assist  in  the  formation  and  execution  of 
a plan  for  the  colonization  of  the  free 
people  of  color,  with  their  consent,  in  Af- 
rica, or  elsewhere,  as  may  be  thought  j 
most  advisable  by  the  constituted  authori-  | 
ties  of  the  countr)'-.  ” A committee  was 
appointed  to  prepare  a constitution,  and  j 
rules  for  the  government  of  the  associa-  j 
tion  or  society.  At  an  adjourned  meeting  ! 
held  in  the  Hall  of  the  House  of  Repre-  1 1 
sentatives,  on  the  28th  of  the  same  month, 

“ a constitution  was  reported  by  the  com- 
mittee  appointed  for  that  purpose  ; and  l| 
having  been  discussed  and  amended,  was  |l 
unanimously  adopted  by  the  meeting.” — I 
And,  on  motion,  it  was  “ Resolved , That  | 
the  first  election  of  officers  of  the  Society  j 
shall  be  held  on  Wednesday,  the  1st  day 
of  January,  1817  :”  on  which  day  the  j 
American  Colonization  Society  (originally 
called  “ the  American  Society  for  colon- 
izing the  free  people  of  color  of  the  United 
States”)  was  fully  organized  by  the  elec- 
tion of  the  Hon.  Bushrod  Washington  as 
President,  the  Hon.  Henry  Clay,  and  I 
twelve  other  gentlemen,  as  Vice  Presi- 
dents, Elias  B.  Caldwell  as  Secretary,  W. 
G.  D.  Worthington  as  Recorder,  David 
English  as  Treasurer,  and  twelve  gentle- 
men as  a Board  of  Managers. 

The  interest  in  the  objects  or  designs  i 
of  the  Society  continued  to  increase  during 
the  year  ; and  in  the  month  of  November,  j 
1817,  the  Rev.  Samuel  J.  Mills  and  the 
Rev.  Ebenezer  Burgess,  who  had  been  j 
commissioned  by  the  Society,  sailed  for  ! 
the  western  coast  of  Africa,  by  way  of  ! 
England,  for  the  purpose  of  acquiring  in-  } 
formation,  and  of  making  observations, 
preparatory  to  the  establishment  of  a 
colony.  From  the  Report  of  Mr.  Bur- 
gess, on  his  return  to  the  United  States,  | 


(Mr.  Mills  having  died  on  the  homeward 
voyage,)  the  Society  was  encouraged  to 
proceed  in  its  benevolent  enterprise. 

In  the  month  of  February,  1820,  the 
first  company  of  emigrants,  under  the  au- 
spices of  the  American  Colonization  So- 
ciety, embarked  at  New  York,  for  Africa, 
in  the  ship  Elizabeth,  which  was  char- 
tered by  the  United  States  Government. 
This  expedition,  consisting  of  eighty-six 
colored  emigrants,  was  accompanied  by 
three  white  persons,  the  Rev.  Samuel  Ba- 
con, Mr.  John  P.  Bankson,  and  Dr.  Sam- 
uel A.  Crozer.  They  proceeded  by  way  of 
Sierra  Leone  to  the  Island  of  Sherbro,at^ 
which  place  they  had  obtained  permission 
to  reside,  until  an  eligible  site  could  be 
purchased  on  the  main  land.  But  as  this 
was  a very  unhealthy  location,  and  as 
these  pioneers  of  African  Colonization 
were  necessarily  deprived  of  many  of  the 
necessaries,  as  well  as  comforts  of  life, 
many  of  them  were  soon  seized  with  fe- 
ver ; and  within  a few  months,  all  of  the 
white  men,  and  about  one-fourth  of  the 
emigrants,  died.  The  remainder  sought 
and  obtained  permission  of  the  authorities 
of  Sierra  Leone  to  locate  temporarily  in 
that  colony,  until  a better  site  than  Sher- 
bro  could  be  procured. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  year  1821,  the 
second  company,  consisting  of  thirty- 
three  emigrants,  and  four  white  persons 
as  agents  of  the  Society  and  the  United 
States  Government,  sailed  from  Norfolk 
for  the  coast  of  Africa.  This  expedition 
reached  Sierra  Leone  on  the  9th  of  March, 
and  joined  the  survivors  of  the  first  com- 
pany. In  the  latter  part  of  this  year, 
through  the  efforts  of  Dr.  Eli  Ayres  and 
Lieutenant  (now  Commodore)  R.  F. 
Stockton,  a valuable  tract  of  land  was 
purchased  from  the  chiefs  of  the  Dey 
tribe  ; and  in  the  months  of  January  and 
February,  1822,  the  little  band  were  re- 
moved from  Sierra  Leone  to  a small 
island  near  the  mouth  of  the  Mesurado 
river,  (called  by  them  Perseverance  Island) 
which  they  occupied  until  arrangements 
could  be  made  for  the  occupancy  of  a part 
of  the  main  land  that  had  been  purchased. 
On  the  25th  of  April,  1822,  the  American 
flag  was  first  hoisted  on  Cape  Mesurado  ; 
the  site  of  the  present  handsome  and 
flourishing  town  of  Monrovia ; the  colo- 
nists having  all  removed  from  the  little 


42 


SKETCHES  OF  LIBERIA. 


Sketch  of  the  History  of  Liberia. 


island,  and  fixed  themselves  as  comfort- 
ably as  circumstances  would  admit  at 
their  new  home — the  nucleus  of  what  is 
now  the  sovereign  and  independent  Re- 
public of  Liberia. 

Such  was  the  beginning  of  the  practical 
operations  of  the  African  Colonization  en- 
terprise. 

The  colonists,  however,  were  not  long 
permitted  to  remain  in  the  peaceful  pos- 
session of  their  new  home  It  soon  be- 
came evident  that  the  surrounding  native 
tribes  contemplated  an  attack  on  the  in- 
fant colony.  And  on  the  arrival  of  Mr. 
Ashmun,  in  August,  1822,  he  soon  per- 
ceived the  necessity  of  some  vigorous 
means  being  adopted  to  afford  security 
against  the  dangers  to  which  the  settlers 
were  exposed  from  the  treachery  and 
cruelty  of  the  hostile  native  tribes  around  | 
»them  ; and  he  immediately  commenced  a j 
system  of  operations  to  improve  the  con-  i 
dition  of  the  little  colony.  The  emigrants 
remained  in  a state  of  anxiety,  watchful-  j 
ness,  suffering,  and  uncertainty,  until  i 
early  in  the  morning  of  the  11th  Novem-  j 
ber,  when  a large  body  of  armed  natives 
made  their  appearance,  and  commenced 
the  deadly  assault.  After  a fierce  contest 
of  about  two  hours,  the  assailants  were 
forced  to  retreat,  with  the  loss  of  about  j 
150  men.  Notwithstanding  their  repul-  ! 
sion  and  loss,  they  did  not  abandon  their  j 
design  of  endeavoring  to  exterminate  the  I 
colonists.  And  on  the  morning  of  the  2d 
December,  they  renewed  the  attack,  with  j 
a much  larger  force.  But  in  this,  as  in 
the  former  battle,  they  were  repulsed,  and 
forced  to  retire,  with  considerable  loss. — 
During  these  two  assaults,  which  were 
met  by  the  colonists  with  that  bravery 
and  determination  that  were  inspired  by  j 
the  consciousness  of  total  destruction,  in 
case  of  defeat,  four  men  and  one  woman 
were  killed,  and  four  men  and  two  wo- 
men severely  wounded;  and  seven  chil- 
dren captured,  all  of  whom  were  after- 
wards returned.  The  last  battle  fully  sat- 
isfied the  surrounding  natives  of  the  su- 
periority of  their  new  neighbors,  not- 
withstanding their  extremely  small  num- 
ber, (not  over  thirty-five  men  ;)  and  the 
time  of  this  battle  has  ever  since  been  re- 
garded as  the  epoch  of  the  full  establish- 
ment of  the  colony  (now  the  Republic)  of 
Liberia  on  the  western  coast  of  Africa. 
As  such,  its  anniversary  is  kept  as  a day 
of  public  thanksgiving. 

Since  that  time,  though  the  colonists 
have  met  with  various  reverses,  and  have 
been  obliged  in  a few  instances  to  take 


up  arms  against  some  of  the  contiguous 
native  tribes  ; yet,  during  most  of  the  time, 
the  dove  of  peace  has  hovered  over  them, 
and  the  sun  of  prosperity  has  shone  upon 
their  pathway,  with  but  few  intervening 
clouds.  And  in  a little  more  than  a quar- 
ter of  a century  from  the  time  when  the 
stars  and  stripes  were  first  hoisted  on  that 
forest-clad  Cape,  by  a little  company  of 
daring  adventurers,  the  voice  of  a new- 
born Republic  was  heard  asking  admis- 
sion into  the  family  of  nations  ; five  of 
which  (Great  Britain,  France,  Prussia, 
Belgium  and  Brazil,)  have  freely  and  fully 
acknowledged  her  sovereignty  and  inde- 
pendence. And  there,  on  the  coast  of 
that  benighted  land,  the  fires  of  civil  and 
religious  liberty,  which  have  thus  been 
lighted,  will  no  doubt  continue  to  blaze 
out  in  attractive  loveliness,  until  their  in- 
fluences shall  be  felt  throughout  the  length 
and  breadth  of  that  vast  peninsula. 

Under  the  administration  of  the  self- 
sacrificing  and  indefatigable  Ashmun,  who 
presided  over  the  destinies  of  the  infant 
colony,  with  a few  brief  intervals  of  re- 
laxation, until  the  spring  of  1828,  (nearly 
six  years,)  the  condition  of  the  first  settle- 
ment greatly  improved,  and  other  settle- 
ments were  commenced  ; additional  terri- 
tory was  procured  by  purchase  from  the 
native  chiefs  ; and  the  number  of  the  col- 
onists was  considerably  increased  by  ac- 
cessions from  the  United  States — about 
eight  hundred  new  immigrants  having  ar- 
rived. 

The  Rev.  Mr.  Ashmun,  who  had  so 
long  labored  and  suffered  for  the  good  of 
Liberia,  at  last  sunk  under  the  weight  of 
his  burdens  : his  physical  system  became 
entirely  prostrated  ; and  as  the  only  pos- 
sibility of  recovery,  he  resolved  to  sail 
for  the  United  States.  Accordingly,  on 
the  25th  of  March,  1828,  he  embarked  for 
the  home  of  his  childhood,  after  having 
taken  an  affectionate  leave  of  the  weeping 
and  sorrowful  companions  of  his  exile. — 
A few  days  after  his  arrival  in  this  coun- 
try, his  wearied,  worn-out  body  found  a 
resting  place  in  the  silent  grave-yard,  and 
his  freed  spirit  a home  in  heaven.  On  the 
departure  of  Mr.  Ashmun,  the  superin- 
tendence of  affairs  devolved  on  the  Rev. 
Lott  Cary,  one  of  the  early  immigrants, 
who  had  already  proved  himself  to  be 
eminently  useful  to  his  fellow  pioneers  ; 
but  whose  career  of  usefulness  was  ter- 
minated by  death,  on  the  evening  of  the 
8th  of  November,  1828,  by  the  accidental 
explosion  of  a quantity  of  powder,  in 
the  old  agency  house,  in  which  he  and 


APPENDIX. 


43 


Sketch  of  the  History  of  Liberia. 


others  were  engaged  in  making  cart- 
ridges. 

The  successor  of  Mr  Ashmun,  Doctor 
Richard  Randal!,  arrived  at  Monrovia  on 
the  22d  December,  1828,  accompanied  by 
Dr.  Joseph  Mechlin,  Jr.,  as  Colonial 
Physician  and  Surgeon.  Dr.  Randall  en- 
tered on  the  performance  of  the  duties  of 
his  station  with  a zeal  and  enthusiasm 
which  soon  proved  that  his  mental  en- 
ergies, and  his  enterprising  spirit  were 
too  ardent  for  his  physical  system,  while 
exposed  to  the  debilitating  influences  of 
the  climate,  and  the  local  accessory  agents 
of  disease,  of  intertropical  Africa.  He 
was  removed  by  death  from  the  scene  of 
his  labors  and  sufferings,  after  a residence 
of  less  than  four  months  in  the  Colony. — 
The  duties  of  the  agency,  as  well  as  those 
of  the  medical  department,  thus  devolved 
on  Dr.  Mechlin,  who  was  afterwards  ap- 
pointed to  that  station  by  the  Society  ; and 
who  remained  in  charge  of  the  agency 
until  the  latter  part  of  the  year  1833,  when 
he  returned  to  the  United  States,  and  re- 
signed his  office.  During  his  agency,  the 
accession  of  immigrants  from  the  United 
States  was  very  considerable  ; and  among 
the  various  evidences  of  progress,  was  the 
purchase  of  a fine  tract  of  territory  on  the 
St.  John ’s  river,  and  the  commencement 
of  the  settlement  of  Edina,  near  the  mouth 
of  that  river.  Several  mission  stations, 
under  the  auspices  of  different  societies  in 
Eurdpe  and  the  United  States,  were  es- 
tablished in  the  Colony  ; and  the  progress 
of  civilization  and  Christianity  among  the 
contiguous  native  tribes  was  very  en- 
couraging. 

Dr.  Mechlin  was  succeeded  in  the 
agency  by  the  Rev.  J.  B Pir.ney,  who 
performed  the  duties  pertaining  to  that 
important  station,  until  about  the  middle 
of  the  year  1835,  when,  in  consequence  of 
ill-health,  he  returned  to  the  United  States. 
The  Rev.  Ezekiel  Skinner,  M.  D.,  was 
his  successor. 

In  the  early  part  of  1834,  the  Colony  of 
“ Maryland  in  Liberia,”  located  at  Cape 
Palmas,  under  the  auspices  of  the  Mary- 
land State  Colonization  Society,  was  com- 
menced under  the  direction  and  superin- 
tendence of  Dr.  James  Hall,  who  had  pre- 
viously resided  at  Monrovia  as  assistant 
physician,  and  who  remained  in  charge  of 
the  new  Colony  about  two  years. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  following  year, 
(1835,)  a new  settlement  was  commenced 
at  Bassa  Cove,  under  the  auspices  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Colonization  Society. — 
Shortly  after  its  establishment,  it  was  at- 


tacked by  a native  chief,  named  Jo  Har- 
ris, in  command  of  a body  of  men,  who 
rushed  upon  the  defenceless  settlers,  and 
massacred  about  twenty  of  them.  Those 
who  succeeded  in  escaping,  afterwards  lo- 
cated on  the  St.  John’s  river,  opposite 
j Edina,  where  there  is  a flourishing  com- 
l mercial  town. 

During  the  year  1836,  the  settlement  of 
j|  Marshal],  at  the  mouth  of  Junk  river  was 
j commenced  ; and  during  the  same  year, 

I j an  important  tract  of  land  was  purchased 
on  the  Sinou  river,  and  a settlement com- 
| menced,  under  the  auspices  of  the  Mis- 
I sissippi  Colonization  Society.  In  the  month 
j of  September  of  this  year,  Dr.  Skinner 
was  obliged  to  leave  the  Colony,  in  con- 
j sequence  of  the  impaired  state  of  his 
health,  brought  on  principally  by  his  ar- 
I duous  and  multifarious  duties  ; and  the 
| duties  of  the  agency  again  devolved  on 
! the  Rev.  A.  D.  Williams,  a colonist,  who 
I had  occupied  the  position  of  agent  during 
i j the  absence  of  Dr  Mechlin,  while  on  a 
j visit  to  the  United  States  in  1830  ; and 
| who  continued  to  fill  the  office  until  the 
! arrival  of  Thomas  Buchanan,  Esq.,  as 
| Governor  of  the  “ Commonwealth,”  on 
the  1st  of  April,  1839  ; which  event  marks 
a new  epoch  in  the  history  of  Liberia. — 
During  the  latter  part  of  the  preceding 
year  (1838)  all  the  State  Colonization  So- 
cieties, except  the  Maryland  Society,  be- 
I came  more  intimately  united  as  auxiliaries 
| to  the  parent  Society  ; and,  by  agreement, 
the  different  colonies  in  Liberia,  except 
the  Maryland  Colony,  were  consolidated 
under  one  Government,  to  be  called  the 
Commonwealth  of  Liberia  ; and  Thomas 
Buchanan,  Esq.,  who  had  spent  one  year 
at  Bassa  Cove  as  agent  for  the  New  York 
and  Pennsylvania  Societies,  was  appointed 
Governor  of  the  Commonwealth  ; which 
office  he  filled  with  dignity  and  g^eat  use- 
fulness about  two  years  and  a half,  when 
l (on  the  3d  September,  1841,)  Liberia  and 
j the  American  Colonization  Society  were 
deprived  by  death  of  his  valuable  services 
— a loss  that  was  keenly  felt  and  deeply 
lamented  by  all  who  felt  interested  in  the 
prosperity  of  Liberia,  on  both  sides  of  the 
Atlantic. 

During  the  administration  of  Governor 
Buchanan,  the  foundation  of  the  Liberian 
enterprise  was  more  firmly  established  than 
it  had  ever  been  before  ; and  general  pros- 
perity prevailed  throughout  the  different 
settlements.  The  several  departments  of 
the  government  were  more  systematically 
arranged,  and  more  attention  was  given  to 
agriculture  and  education  than  in  former 


44 


SKETCHES  OF  LIBERIA. 


Native  Africans  in  Liberia. 


years.  The  citizens  of  Liberia  were  thus 
better  prepared  to  assume  the  entire  re- 
sponsibilities of  self-government. 

By  the  death  of  Governor  Buchanan, 
the  management  of  the  Government  de- 
volved on  General  Joseph  J.  Roberts,  the 
Lieutenant  Governor,  who  was  appointed 
Governor  of  the  Commonwealth  by  the 
Colonization  Society,  soon  after  the  melan- 
choly tidings  of  the  death  of  Governor 
Buchanan  reached  the  United  States  ; and 
who  continued  to  dll  the  office  with  dignity 
and  acceptability,  under  the  auspices  of 
the  Society,  until  the  establishment  of  the 
Republic,  and  the  consequent  new  organi-  I 


zation  of  the  Government.  In  the  month 
of  July,  1847,  a Convention  of  delegates, 
elected  by  the  people,  met  at  Monrovia, 
and  formed  the  Constitution  of  the  Repub- 
lic of  Liberia,  which,  with  a Declaration 
of  Independence,  was  adopted  by  the 
people,  and  published  to  the  world.  In 
the  month  of  October  of  that  year,  Go- 
vernor Roberts  was  elected,  and  on  the 
3d  of  January,  1848,  was  regularly  in- 
stalled, the  first  President  of  the  Republic  ; 
to  which  responsible  position  he  has  been 
several  times  re-elected  ; and  the  duties  of 
which  he  has  performed  with  patriotic  de- 
votion to  the  interests  of  the  country. 


Native  Africans  in  Liberia. — Their  Customs  and  Superstitions. 


Like  the  aborigines  of  our  own  country, 
those  of  Africa  are  divided  into  numerous 
tribes,  each  tribe  having  a dialect  differing 
to  a greater  or  less  extent  from  those  of 
the  contiguous  tribes,  and  each  being 
characterized  by  some  national  peculiari- 
ties ; the  difference,  however,  in  appear- 
ance, customs,  and  superstitions,  not  be- 
ing very  great  among  the  different  tribes 
within  the  territory  of  Liberia. 

The  principal  tribes  in  Liberia  and  its 
immediate  vicinity,  are,  the  Dey,  Vey, 
Bassa,  Gueah,  Golah,  Pessah,  Kroo, 
Fish,  and  Grebo  ; the  last  named  being 
that  tribe  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of 
Cape  Palmas. 

The  government  among  the  different 
tribes  may  be  regarded  as  a kind  of  com- 
pound of  the  patriarchal,  the  oligarchal, 
and  the  monarchical.  In  every  tribe, 
there  is  one  man  who  is  recognised  as  the 
head  king,  to  whom  all  the  other  kings 
and  chiefs  of  the  tribe  are  nominally  sub- 
ordinate. African  kings,  however,  are 
very  numerous.  Indeed,  in  almost  every 
community,  there  is  one  man  who  is  re- 
garded as  a king  : his  jurisdiction  extend- 
ing over  a single  hamlet,  or  a small  tract 
of  country,  including  within  its  limits 
several  small  hamlets. 

As  in  European  monarchical  Govern- 
ments, so  among  the  native  tribes  of 
Africa,  royalty  and  governmental  author- 
ity are  usually  hereditary. — The  legal 
successor  of  a departed  king,  however, 
cannot  assume  his  royal  station  and  au- 
t hority  without  the  concurrence  of  all  the 
other  kings  of  the  tribe:  and  not  un  fre- 
quently some  other  individual,  not  of  the 
royal  family,  is  appointed  by  the  other 
kings,  with  the  concurrence  of  the  people 
over  whom  he  is  to  preside,  in  conse- 


quence of  the  minority  of  the  rightful  suc- 
cessor— though  he  may  be  a man  of  thir- 
ty years  of  age,  or  more — or  of  some 
other  difficulty  either  imaginary  or  real. 
The  kingly  succession  is  not  so  scrupu- 
lously observed  in  Africa,  as  in  Europe. 
And  not  unfrequently,  like  Bonaparte  and 
Cromwell,  some  daring  adventurer,  some- 
times of  another  and  distant  tribe,  will 
usurp  the  power  and  authority  rightly 
belonging  to  another,  and  set  up  a domin- 
ion or  kingdom  for  himself,  vi  et  armbi , 
as  in  the  case  of  the  celebrated  Boatswain, 
who  rendered  valuable  assistance  to  the 
early  settlers  of  Liberia. 

In  most  cases,  the  title  is  the  only  thing 
of  which  African  kings  can  boast.  None 
of  them  are  ever  burdened  with  wealth. 

, Indeed,  most  of  them  are  miserably  poor. 

! I have  seen  half  a dozen  kings,  and  as 
many  chiefs  and  headmen,  at  one  time, 
sitting  on  the  ground,  as  humble  mendi- 
cants, in  submissive  patience,  awaiting  to 
receive  a “ dash”  (present)  of  a few 
pounds  of  tobacco,  from  a gentleman  in 

! Liberia,  at  whose  place  of  residence  they 
had  assembled. 

In  addition  to  those  persons  who  are 
dignified  with  the  honorable  appellation 
of  king,  there  are  others  of  subordinate 
authority,  who  are  generally  called  head- 
men. In  each  hamlet,  however  small, 
there  is  a headman,  who  has  more  or  less 
control  over  all  the  other  residents  of  the 
place,  and  who  is  responsible  for  their 
conduct.  The  principal  mark  of  distinc- 
tion between  the  kings,  or  the  headmen, 
and  the  rest  of  the  people,  usually  con- 
sists in  the  size  of  the  garments  which 
they  respectively  wear  ; those  of  the  for- 
mer generally  being  rather  more  extensive 
than  those  of  the  latter.  Their  style  of 


APPENDIX. 


45 


Native  Africans  in  Liberia. 


living  does  not  differ  materially  from  that  j 
of  any  of  their  subjects,  and  their  palaces 
cannot  generally  be  distinguished  from  the 
residences  of  their  untitled  subordinates. 

The  natives  about  Liberia  invariably 
reside  in  towns,  or  hamlets,  few  of  which 
contain  more  than  five  hundred  inhabi- 
tants, and  most  of  them  less  than  two 
hundred.  The  whole  country,  except  in 
the  immediate  vicinity  of  these  towns  or 
hamlets,  which  are  very  numerous,  pre- 
sents a deep  unbroken  forest,  the  solemn 
silence  of  which  is  seldom  disturbed,  save 
by  the  footsteps  and  voices  of  travelers, 
and  the  noise  of  wild  animals.  The 
houses  or  huts  in  which  they  reside  are 
generally  rudely  constructed  of  sticks, 
usually  lined  with  strong  bamboo  mats,  ; 
with  which  the  dirt  floors  are  also  some-  j 
times  covered.  They  are  always  covered 
with  thatch,  and  sometimes  they  are 
daubed  outside  with  mud.  Some  of  their 
huts  are  constructed  with  a little  regard  to 
taste  and  convenience,  some  are  pretty 
substantially  built,  but  most  of  them  are 
filthy,  smoky,  ugly,  disagreeable  hovels, 
presenting  indubitable  evidence  of  extreme 
indolence  and  improvidence  on  the  part 
of  the  inmates. 

Their  almost  universal  style  of  dress 
consists  simply  of  a piece  of  cotton  cloth, 
or  a cotton  handkerchief,  fastened  loosely 
about  their  loins  ; in  addition  to  which,  a 
kind  of  hat  is  sometimes  (not  generally) 
worn,  composed  of  the  fibres  of  some  one 
of  the  numerous  indigenous  vegetable 
substances,  or  of  a kind  of  grass.  In  ad- 
dition to  the  ordinary  “ girdle  about  the 
loins,”  some  of  the  natives,  particularly 
the  kings  and  headmen,  wear  a kind  of 
robe,  loosely  thrown  across  one  shoulder, 
and  wrapped  around  the  body.  These 
robes  are  generally  manufactured  in  the 
country,  from  the  native  cotton,  which 
they  spin  by  a very  simple  though  tedious 
process,  and  weave  into  narrow  strips, 
never  more  than  six  inches  wide,  by  a 
process  exhibiting  a little  ingenuity,  but 
not  less  tedious  than  that  of  the  spinning. 

A great  deal  of  their  time  is  occupied 
in  dancing  and  singing,  and  in  a variety 
of  nonsensical  plays.  These  plays  are 
frequently  kept  up,  day  and  night,  for 
several  successive  days,  and  sometimes 
for  several  weeks.  I have  frequently  heard 
the  sound  of  their  rudely-constructed 
drums,  and  other  instruments  of  music, 
at  neaily  all  hours  of  both  day  and  night. 
Some  of  their  musical  instruments  are 
quite  fanciful  in  appearance  ; but  none 
that  I ever  saw  exhibited  much  ingenuity 


J in  their  construction.  They  have  various 
systems  of  gambling  ; and  many  of  them 
are  very  expert  in  some  of  their  games. 
It  is  not  uncommon  to  see  half  a dozen, 
or  more,  strong,  healthy  natives,  sitting 
on  the  ground,  busily  engaged  in  gam- 
bling, the  amount  at  stoke  being  a pipe 
full  of  tobacco. 

Several  of  the  tribes  have  national  marks, 
by  which  the  members  of  a particular 
tribe  may  be  distinguished  from  those  of 
any  other  tribe  ; in  addition  to  which,  the 
bodies  of  some  are  variously,  and  some- 
times very  fantastically,  tattooed,  partic- 
ularly the  breast,  back,  and  arms.  Their 
process  of  tattooing  consists  in  making 
numerous  small  incisions  in  the  skin, 
over  which  they  rub  a kind  of  paste,  usu- 
j ally  made  of  the  ashes  of  a particular 
j shrub,  mixed  with  palm-oil,  which  leaves 
! an. indelible  impression,  somewhat  darker 
| than  the  contiguous  surface, 
j Domestic  slavery  is  very  common 
among  all  the  tribes  to  which  I have  allu- 
; ded,  and,  I presume,  among  all  the  nu- 
merous tribes  throughout  the  whole  of 
Africa.  So  far  as  1 was  able  to  learn,  the 
Kroomen  and  the  Fishmen  are  the  only 
tribes  on  that  part  of  the  western  coast 
who  do  not  enslave  persons  of  their  tribe, 
they  never  enslave  each  other,  and  they 
i are  seldom  enslaved  by  others.  They, 

I however,  frequently  possess  slaves  of  other 
| tribes  ; and  they  are  the  most  active 
j “ aiders  and  abettors”  of  the  nefarious 
traffic  on  that  part  of  the  coast.  They 
are  generally  employed  in  conducting  the 
slaves  from  the  marts  on  the  coast  to  the 
slave  ships  ; and  from  them  principally  is 
derived  the  information  relative  to  the  state 
j of  the  trade. 

| In  most  cases  the  slaves  owned  by 
individuals  of  any  tribe  are  of  some 
other  tribe.  Those  who  are  captured 
in  the  wars,  and  thus  reduced  to  sla- 
very, are  generally  sold  to  foreigners; 
i while  many  of  those  who  are  purchased 
are  kept  for  years  by  the  individuals  to 
whom  they  belong.  It  is  not  uncommon 
for  one  man  to  own  several  scores  of 
slaves  ; and  in  some  cases,  among  the 
wealthy  sons  of  the  forest,  several  hun- 
dreds of  their  fellow-beings  submit  in 
humble  obedience  to  the  authority  of  their 
princely  master.  It  is  not  improbable,  in- 
deed, that  at  least  five-sixths  of  the  whole 
population  of  Africa  are  slaves.  In  visit- 
ing an  African  hamlet,  however,  a stran- 
ger would  be  at  a loss  to  distinguish  slaves 
from  free  men,  or  even  from  their  mas- 
ters. But,  though  they  are  of  similar 


46 


SKETCHES  OP  LIBERIA. 


Native  Africans  in  Liberia. 


complexion,  and  though  no  prominent 
mark  or  badge  of  distinction  can  be  seen 
by  strangers,  yet  slaves  are  easily  recog- 
nised by  other  members  of  the  same  com- 
munity, and  by  members  of  other  comma-  j 
nities  of  the  same  tribes,  and  enven  by  indi- 
viduals of  contiguous  tribes.  In  many  ca- 
ses, however,  they  live  as  well  as  their  mas- 
ters do  : and  in  some  cases  the  state  of 
bondage  is  apparently  only  nominal.  But, 
like  slaves  in  other  countries,  they  are  al- 
ways deprived  of  certain'  civil  and  politi- 
cal immunities,  which  deprivation  of  course 
tends  to  degrade  them  in  the  estimation  of 
their  more  highly  favored  neighbors.  On 
some  parts  of  the  coast,  however,  as  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  Gaboon  river,  and  per-  I 
haps  in  many  other  parts  of  Africa,  slaves 
are  generally  treated  with  the  utmost  se-  | 
verity,  and  are  regarded  by  the  free  peo- 
ple with  the  utmost  detestation.  I have 
been  informed  that,  among  some  tribes, 
they  are  held  in  so  little  estimation  that  ! 
the  master  may  take  their  lives  (which  is  j 
not  unfrequently  done)  for  the  most  tri-  j 
fling  offence,  with  perfect  impunity,  no  le-  ! 
gal  process  ever  being  instituted  to  pun- 
ish  the  inhuman  master  in  any  way  ; and  j| 
the  only  punishment  which  any  other  free 
man  would  have  to  endure,  for  a similar 
offence,  would  be  the  payment  of  the  val- 
uation  of  the  slave  to  his  master. 

In  many  communities  the  number  of!1 
slaves  is  much  greater  than  that  of  the  free 
persons  ; and  it  might  be  supposed  that 
insurrections  would  be  common.  This, 
however,  is  not  the  case.  It  might  also  be  j j 
supposed  that  slaves  would  frequently  run 
away,  inasmuch  as  the  recognized  mark  j 
of  distinction — the  difference  in  cutaneous  ! 
hue — which  exists  in  the  United  States 
between  masters  and  slaves  does  not  exist  i 
in  Africa,  and  no  other  particular  mark  by 
which  they  could  be  known  as  slaves. — 
But  they  seldom  resort  to  this  expedient  to  I 
obtain  their  freedom,  knowing  as  they  do  J 
that  such  a course  (to  use  a familiar  simile)  j 
would  be  a jump  from  the  frying-pan  i 
into  the  fire,  inasmuch  as  they  would  be  j 
doomed  to  slavery  by  the  people  among  j 
whom  they  had  fled  ; and  very  probably  j 
their  situation  would  be  worse  than  before,  j 

The  ordinary  valuation  of  an  able-bodied  j 
slave  is  about  thirty  dollars,  in  goods  ; | 
being  from  fifteen  to  twenty  dollars  in  j 
money.  Young  females  generally  sell  for  j 
a few  dollars  more  than  males.  Very  of- ! 
ten  the  wives,  or  some  of  them,  of  African 
“ gentlemen,”  are  their  purchased  slaves,  j 
And  sometimes  when  they  get  tired  of ! 
their  “ better  halves,”  they  do  not  hesitate  1 
to  sell  them  to  the  highest  bidder.  The  I 


custom  of  fathers  selling  their  children, 
which  is  not,  I think,  so  common  as  it  is 
usually  represented  in  written  accounts  of 
the  horrors  of  the  African  slave  trade, 
arises  from  the  circumstance  of  the  moth- 
ers of  those  children  being  slaves,  and  their 
offspring  being  so  regarded,  notwithstand- 
ing, as  in  some  instances  in  other  coun- 
tries, father  and  master  are  terms  of 
synonymous  applicability. 

In  regard  to  the  various  superstitious 
notions  of  the  ignorant  and  degraded 
aborigines  of  Africa,  it  would  be  difficult 
to  measure  their  extent  in  any  community, 
or  to  fathom  the  depth  of  degradation  and 
misery  thus  handed  down  from  one  gen- 
eration to  another. 

Among  the  numerous  absurd  opinions 
of  a superstitious  character  which  prevail 
in  Western  Africa,  and  which  lead  to  the 
most  foolish  practices,  the  universal  belief 
in  witchcraft  occupies  the  most  prominent 
position.  And,  associated  with  this  belief, 
and  arising  from  it,  are  many  of  the  most 
nonsensical  practices  of  which  the  mind 
can  conceive.  So  grossly  absurd,  indeed, 
are  the  incoherent  views  of  the  uneducated 
native  African,  in  reference  to  the  magical 
influences  of  witchcraft,  that  it  is  next  to 
impossible  to  witness  their  foolish  prac- 
tices, resulting  from  this  belief,  even  after 
making  every  allowance  for  their  want  of 
facilities  of  intellectual  culture,  without  ar- 
riving at  the  conclusion  that  there  is  a natu- 
ral obliquity  of  the  African  mind,  unpar- 
alleled in  all  other  countries.  This  pre- 
vailing and  settled  belief  in  the  influences 
of  witchcraft  often  leads  to  murderous 
practices,  by  which  thousands  of  these 
poor,  degraded  beings  are  hurried  into 
eternity.  A most  absurd  superstition, 
common  among  them,  is,  that  no  person 
(except  very  old  and  wornout  people) 
dies,  unless  by  the  agency  of  some  other 
person,  who,  according  to  their  notions, 
“ made  witch  ” for  the  deceased  individ- 
ual ; no  matter  what  may  be  the  circum- 
stances attending  his  death — whether  by 
protracted  disease,  or  by  accident.  Sus- 
picion generally  rests  on  one  individual, 
or  more,  who  was  known  to  have  been  at 
enmity  with  the  deceased  ; or  the  family  of 
the  dead  person  are  consulted,  and  they 
seldom  fail  to  accuse  some  one  of  having 
“ made  witch  ” for  their  dead  relative. 
It  sometimes  happens,  however,  that  no 
particular  person  is  accused;  in  which  case 
it  is  incumbent  on  the  “ gree-gree  man,”  or 
doctor,  (a  very  important  and  influential 
personage  in  every  community,)  to  point 
out  the  culprit.  The  accused  person  is 
obliged  to  undergo  the  infallible  ordeal  of 


APPENDIX. 


47 


Native  Africans  in  Liberia. 


“ drinking  sassa-wood  ;”  especially  if  the 
deceased  had  been  a person  of  conse- 
quence. This  drinking  of  sassa-wood, 
which  is  a universal  test  of  witchcraft, 
consists  in  swallowing  large  quantities  of 
an  infusion  of  the  bark  of  the  sassa-wood 
tree — gulping  it  down  until  the  distended 
stomach  will  not  receive  any  more.  If 
the  person  rejects  from  his  stomach  this 
poisonous  infusion,  and  lives;  his  inno- 
cence is  established  ; but  if  he  retains  it, 
and  consequently  dies,  his  cruel  tormen- 
tors are  satisfied  of  his  guilt. 

Any  person  is  liable  to  be  accused  of 
witchcraft,  or  of  having  caused  the  death 
of  a deceased  person  ; but  generally  some 
old  person  is  fixed  on — one  whom  they 
wish  to  get  out  of  the  way  ; or  some  per- 
son with  whom  the  relatives  of  the  de- 
ceased are  at  variance,  and  on  whom  they 
wish  to  take  revenge,  for  some  imaginary 
or  real  injury.  This  is  a very  common 
way  of  being  revenged.  Sometimes  the 
individual  who  dies  points  out,  before 
death,  the  person  who  is  accused  ; and,  in 
some  cases,  it  is  for  some  injury  done  j 
many  years  before^by  the  accused  person  1 
himself,  or  by  one  of  the  same  family,  | 
who  may  already  have  died.  The  natives  I 
of  Africa  generally  are  very  revengeful 
They  harbor  such  feelings  for  a long  time  ; j 
nor  are  they  very  particular  as  to  the  indi- 
vidual on  whom  they  take  revenge  : if  he  j 
or  she  belongs  to  the  same  family,  it  is  j 
enough.  Although  the  drinking  of  sassa- 
wood  is  professedly  regarded  as  a test  of 
witchcraft,  yet  perhaps,  in  most  cases,  the 
death  of  the  unfortunate  individual  who  j 
falls  a victim  to  this  murderous  practice  is 
previously  concerted  ; and  in  those  cases 
in  which  the  death  of  the  accused  person  j 
is  not  desired  by  the  principal  operators  In  | 
this  tragical  ordeal,  the  infusion  is  made  so  i 
weak  as  not  to  produce  death.  In  some  I 
cases  the  victim  is  unceremoniously  beat  I 
to  death,  after  having  swallowed  the  liquid. 
So  that,  in  some  cases,  the  result  of  this  j 
operation  of  drinking  sassa-wood  is  preme- 
ditated. And,  though  a considerable  num- 
ber recover,  after  having  submitted  to  this 
absurd  ordeal,  yet  thousands,  perhaps  mil- 
lions, have  been  immolated  on  this  altar 
of  African  superstition. 

Most  of  the  natives  carry  something 
about  them,  which  they  call  “gree-gree,’ 
the  object  of  which  is  to  protect  them  from 
the  various  ills  to  which  “ flesh  is  heir.” 
Each  of  these  gree-grees  is  carried  for 
some  specific  purpose — to  protect  them  from 
some  particular  danger.  They  are  gener- 
ally suspended  around  their  necks,  and 
are  made  of  various  substances,  in  all 


imaginable  shapes.  They  all  are  conse- 
crated by  the  gree-gree  man,  or  doctor. 
Some  are  made  of  the  end  of  a ram ’shorn, 
filled  with  a mysterious  charm  by  the 
gree-gree  man;  others  are  more  complex 
in  their  workmanship,  and  of  course  more 
various  in  their  potency.  Some  persons 
are  literally  loaded  with  these  foolish  amu- 
lets. They  have  gun  gree-grees,  water, 
fire,  poison,  war,  and  1 know  not  how 
many  other  kinds,  to  protect  them  from 
different  kinds  of  danger.  And  it  is  very 
difficult  to  induce  any  of  them  to  sell  any 
of  these  foolish  appendages. 

The  prevailing  form  of  worship  among 
the  aborigines  in  the  vicinity  of  Liberia, 
(if  indeed,  it  can  be  said  that  they  really 
worship  anything,)  is  what  may  be  em- 
phatically called  Devil  Worship — a kind  of 
superstitious  reverence  and  dread  of  his 
| Satanic  Majesty — which  consists  not  in 
| public  acts  of  solemn  worship,  but  in 
| undefined  conceptions  of  the  power  and 
: agency  of  the  Devil,  in  all  their  affairs  ; 

| and  in  various  nonsensical  methods  to 
! court  his  favor  or  to  avoid  his  displeasure. 

In  the  vicinity  of  many  of  the  towns,  a 
i small  place  is  set  apart  in  the  dense  forest, 
which  is  called  the  “ devil-bush.”  At  a 
certain  age,  or  sometime  during  boyhood 
or  adolescence,  the  male  youths  are  ad- 
mitted formally  into  the  privileges  and  du- 
ties of  manhood,  by  being  brought  into 
the  vicinity  of  the  devil-bush,  and  receiv- 
ing certain  mysterious  instructions  from 
the  “ devil-man,”  who  remains  concealed 
from  view.  Previous  to  this  important 
period  in  the  life  of  the  young  neophyte, 
he  is  not  permitted  to  take  any  part  in 
the  affairs  of  state,  or  even  to  know  any- 
thing of  the  judicial  proceedings — a pro- 
scription which  extends  not  only  to  the 
young,  but  to  all  who  have  not  been 
initiated  into  the  wonderful  mysteries  of 
this  chartered  university.  The  mysterious, 
mighty  devil-man  is  none  other  than  one 
of  their  own  people,  who,  at  certain  pe- 
riods, emerges  from  his  temporary  conceal- 
ment, dressed  in  the  most  fantastical  man- 
ner, and  presenting  a most  frightful  ap- 
pearance. While  he  is  entering  the  town, 
in  order  to  engage  in  the  “ devil-plays,” 
he  blows  a huge  horn  ; at  the  sound  of 
which  the  women  and  children  are  obliged 
to  fly  for  their  lives.  The  principal  ob- 
ject of  the  ceremonies  of  the  “ devil-bush” 
seems  to  be  to  keep  the  women  under  sub- 
jection. In  Africa,  as  well  as  in  every 
other  uncivilized  country,  women  are 
made  “hewers  of  wood  and  drawers  of 
water  ;”  they  are  compelled  to  perform  a 
great  part  of  the  labor  necessary  to  the 


48 


SKETCHE3  OF  LIBERIA. 


Native  Africans  in  Liberia. 


subsistence  of  their  lordly  spouses  : they 
sow  the  rice,  plant  the  cassadas,  and  at- 
tend to  the  principal  duties  of  husbandry  ; 
and,  in  all  things,  they  are  obliged  to  yield 
submissively  to  the  will  of  the  men.  They 
are  not  permitted  to  be  present,  or  even 
to  be  within  sight  or  hearing,  under  pen- 
alty of  death,  during  the  ceremonies  of  the 
“ devil-play  nor  are  they  allowed,  at 
any  time,  under  any  circumstances,  to 
enter  or  to  come  near  the  place  of  residence 
of  the  vicegerent  of  the  arch -deceiver. 
They  are  kept  profoundly  ignorant  of  all 
these  proceedings,  and  of  everything  else 
which  would  tend  to  place  them  on  an 
equality  with  their  tyrannical  rulers — the 
men. 

A place  similar  to  the  devil-bush  is  set 
apart  in  the  vicinity  of  most  of  the  towns, 
as  a seminary  for  young  females.  This 
is  called  the  “ gree-gree  bush.”  A small 
spot  of  ground  is  cleared,  in  the  midst  of 
a dense  piece  of  forest ; a few  huts  are 
erected  on  this  cleared  spot ; and  in  this 
sacred  retreat,  consecrated  to  female  chas- 
tity, the  young  and  innocent  damsels  are 
placed,  and  kept  under  the  direction  and 
instructions  of  an  old  woman , whose  busi- 
ness is  to  instruct  them  in  all  the  duties 
pertaining  to  their  condition,  as  maidens, 
and  to  the  connubial  state.  Those  girls 
who  are  placed  in  this  female  seminary  are 
generally,  perhaps  always,  betrothed,  or 
rather  sold,  by  their  parents,  before  their 
entrance — sometimes,  indeed,  from  their 
infancy.  And  here  they  are  generallly 
kept  until  the  time  of  celebration  of  the 
nuptials  with  their  previously-affianced 
lords.  Males  are  never  permitted  to  enter 
the  abode  of  these  innocent  creatures, 
under  any  circumstances  whatever — not  j 
even  their  fathers  or  brothers.  Nor  are  | 
the  girls  allowed  to  leave  their  allotted  J 
place,  except  when  accompanied  by  their  j 
aged  preceptress.  And  even  on  occasions  ; 
when  they  are  brought  out  of  their  place  ! 
of  confinement,  they  are  not  permitted  to 
say  any  thing  to  any  individual  of  the 
other  sex.  I 

The  natives  in  the  vicinity  of  Liberia  uni- 
versally believe  in  the  existence  of  a Su- ! 
preme  Being  ; but  they  never  offer  any  I 
kind  of  religious  worship  to  him  ; and  j 
their  conceptions  of  his  character  are  ex-  I 
ceedingly  grovelling  and  undefined.  They  ( 
also  believe  in  the  existence  of  a principle  j 
within  the  body,  which  must  survive  its  j 
dissolution  ; but  they  have  no  definite  | 


j ideas  respecting  the  future  state  of  exis- 
! tence.  Indeed,  in  all  that  relates  to  the 
I nature  of  the  human  soul,  and  to  its 
future  destiny,  their  views  are  exceeding- 
1 ly  indefinite,  and  they  abound  in  contradic- 
tions and  absurdities.  To  reduce  the  dis- 
cordant elements  of  the  native  African’s 
creed  to  anything  like  the  unity  and 
lj  consistency  of  a system,  would  require  a 
||  heavy  draught  on  the  imagination  of  the 
j!  compiler. 

In  reference  to  the  moral  and  intellectual 
i condition  of  the  native  tribes  in  the  vicinity 
!\  of  Liberia,  and,  I may  add,  throughout 
| the  greater  part  of  Western  and  Southern 
J Africa,  a picture  sad  and  gloomy  meets 
the  eye  of  the  observer,  and  causes  the 
Christian  philanthropist  to  mourn  over  the 
j moral  desolation  of  these  degraded  beings. 

■ For  centuries  they  have  been  utterly  desti- 
tute of  the  restraints  of  morality,  as  well 
as  of  the  benign  influences  of  Christianity; 
and  from  one  depth  of  degradation  to  a 
deeper  still,  they  have  been  sinking,  until, 
among  many  of  the  tribes,  the  last  vestiges 
of  humanity  almost  seem  to  be  merging 
into  an  allied  proximity  with  the  wild 
beasts  of  the  forest. 

In  energy  and  activity  of  mind,  they 
are  inferior  to  most  other  portions  or  class- 
es of  the  human  race.  In  the  language 
of  one  who  well  understands  the  African 
character  : “ A few  local  associations  ; 

a limited  number  of  acquaintances  among 
their  own  people,  (all  equally  ignorant,) 
some  knowledge  of  raising  the  bare  neces- 
saries of  life  ; a few  traditionary  stories, 
handed  down  from  father  to  son,  and 
rehearsed  in  their  social  groups,  as  pastime, 

. and  a superficial  knowledge  of  the  suoer- 
I stitions  of  their  forefathers,  comprise  about 
I the  sum  total  of  their  stores  of  knowledge. 
They  saunter  through  life,  conscious  that 
they  shall  exist  hereafter,  but  strangely 
indifferent  as  to  the  nature  or  conditions 
of  that  existence.”  And,  in  reference  to 
the  mental  imbecility  and  the  indifference 
to  intellectual  improvement  among  these 
degraded  sons  and  daughters  of  Ham,  I 
may  add,  in  the  language  of  the  same 
careful  and  experienced  observer,  (Rev.  J. 
L.  Wilson,)  “ In  whatever  point  of  light 
we  contemplate  the  African  mind,  it  pres- 
ents little  else  than  an  inextricable  maze 
of  ignorance,  credulity,  and  superstition, 
from  which  it  can  never  be  disengaged 
except  by  the  life-giving  and  light-impart- 
ing influences  of  Christianity.” 


t 

' 


